Ariana, The Lioness
by bitchinblackframedglasses
Summary: What if the mysterious Ariana never died? When she wakes up in Godric's Hollow and is found by Harry and Hermione in DH, she joins them on their quest for Horcruxes. But what about these magic fits? Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

~Ariana, The Lioness~

**I OWN NOTHING. J.K. Rowling has everything but the changes in my plotline.**

This story is about Ariana Dumbledore, and what would happen if she had not been killed by Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but rather, if her own mother placed a curse on her in jealousy because Ariana was a Seer. Every time she had a 'magic fit', her mother got more and more angry because each fit happened because of a vision, or a reaction to emotion. **(If you don't remember, Ariana was attacked by a group of Muggle boys because they knew she was different. She started having fits. Aberforth talks about it in DH, but I add more detail on how it happened.) **Finally, she placed a curse upon her, which meant she would be in a coma that faked death until 6 months after Dumbledore's death. When the six months wear off, Ariana wakes up, in her coffin, in Godric's Hollow. At the same time, Harry and Hermione are there, visiting Harry's parents graves. Ariana can barely remember who she is, but Hermione recognizes her, and when she realizes it truly is her **(by a spell of my invention, but please just go with it)**, and not a Death Eater in disguise, she convinces Harry to take her in, to spare her from the Death Eaters. From there…who knows?

_Ariana_

In my mind, the constant loop plays like a mantra. I had dived for my wand, and the spell hit me in the shoulder. Instantly, that's all I could see. I never reach my wand, and the spell hits my shoulder again and again. I don't know who I am, why this is all I see, or why the curse is for me. I'm aware that time is passing, but all I can focus on is this. I hear nothing, see nothing else. A woman screams the curse in my head, and I can hear a fire crackling, and then a voice of a man shouting in surprise. I have the mantra almost memorized, every fact, color, article and detail I remember, and I identify them all each time the loop starts over. It plays over and over, yet I do not know any frustration or boredom. I feel nothing at all.

I became aware that I was getting colder, and I could feel what felt like pillows beneath me. This has never been in the memory before… Suddenly, as if someone flicked a switch, my eyes fly open, my chest heaves with breath. Something is wrapped around me, and it's dark, suffocating. For a minute, all I can do is breathe, suddenly exhausted. My body tingles as my blood begins to flow once more, but stays limp, totally devoid of energy. The air is thin, almost non-existent, and _cold_. Moments later, my brain resumes functioning, and questions race through my head. _Where am I?_ _**Who**__ am I? What's going on?_

Abruptly, I remember the curse, the little mantra from my memories. Death until the death of another. This brings around a whole new round of questions. Why was I cursed? Who cursed me? Who died? Then, I suddenly realize I'm in a coffin, wrapped up. I was buried alive. My hands start to tremble, and I realize I'm holding my wand. My mind shuts down in panic as I feel another magic attack coming, making the coffin shake, and pain flash down my spine.

Talking is useless; my throat is dry and closing fast from the panic. The panic reaches its peak, and as I blink, I feel like I'm being sucked through a vacuum. Suddenly, it's much, much colder, but I'm still wrapped up. After a fierce moment of struggling, I'm free, rolling into the snow. I tumble out into the snow, and bolt to my feet. I'm standing, for the moment, but exhaustion makes me stumble. My wand falls from my fingers, and my knees collapse; I hit my head on stone. When my head stopped ringing, I look up and gasp in shock. It's a headstone; I must be in the graveyard where I was buried. I reach out a shaking, extremely pale hand and trace the letters: **Kendra Dumbledore**__it read, and then, farther below, **And Her Daughter Ariana.** The memory I had seen for so long suddenly made sense to me, and the shaking before the magic attack stopped for once. The memory played from the beginning, instead of the part I had been seeing for so long.

"_YOU! I'M TIRED OF YOU AND YOUR ATTACKS! YOU AND YOUR __**SPECIAL**__ POWER!"_ _Mum yelled, kicking open the door to my room. I was slumped on the floor, the tremors from the latest attack not yet gone. I had tried to be quiet about it, she had been sleeping, but the pain had been intense. It had been the worst attack I had suffered from in months. The fire crackled almost merrily in contrast to my pain. Mum grabbed my shoulders and pushed me away, snatching my wand. I fell hard on my elbows as I heard the door open as Albus came back inside from getting more firewood._

"_Mum, I'm sorry, I-" I started hurriedly, but Mum cuts me off with a jabbing movement with her wand and a snarl._

"_Until the eldest dies, six months after his death, you will be dead yourself!" Mum roared, raising her wand, throwing mine away in the process. My wand clattered to the floor a few feet away. Mum started muttering in a language I didn't understand, but I understood it was Dark Magic. My body started to feel strange, like it was slowly becoming immobile. _

"_Mum, please!" I plead, my voice sounding high and scared in my ears. Magic, even though I knew how to use it, scared me, and Mum looked murderous…_

"_Ariana? Mum?" Albus called worriedly, ascending the steps as I backed up against my bed, no place to go. "Mum, what—" Albus had started when I dived for my wand, for protection. I heard Mum shriek the end of her spell, Albus cry out in shock, and then the spell hit my shoulder._

I scrambled back from the grave, tears streaming down my face as the tremors returned, falling flat on my back in the snow. I then noticed that I was wearing a high collared funeral gown, made of white lace. The chill of the snow and air just seemed to hit me, and shivers joined the tremors. Slowly, I reached over and took my wand from the snow, then shakily stood. The sound of a gasp set me off, and the magic shot out of my fingers like lightening bolts in surprise, making me cry out in pain, dropping my wand. I felt the snow under me melt from the heat, until I was on frozen ground, gasping for air as the magic subsided. I sat up slowly, wincing, expecting to see Mum standing there with her wand, a snarl on her face, but I was mistaken. No one was there, in fact, the graveyard was empty. But I swore I could hear furious whispers coming from nearby.

"Look at her eyes; she has to be a Dumbledore!" I thought I heard a female voice say.

"She's _dead_; this has got to be a trap!" A male voice hissed back.

"But what's wrong with her? That looks like magic coming out of her…"

"I don't know, and I don't care! That is not her, she's _dead!"_

"Harry, you saw her appear from the ground just the same as I did! The Death Eaters wouldn't bury someone alive just to trick us!' The female voice snapped.

I was probably going crazy now too. That would finish off the random magic seizures that came shooting out of me nicely. Quite suddenly, two beings appeared, wands pointed at me, making me groan in pain as more magic reacted to my shock and surprise, coming out of me in thicker bolts this time, until my breath was caught in my chest. "Are you Ariana Dumbledore?" The male asked harshly, wand pointed dead at my forehead as the woman picked up my wand.

"Y-yes, I-I think so, b-but-" I started, my voice hoarse from lack of use, but he cut across me, looking furious.

"You're lying. Ariana Dumbledore has been dead for about fifty years. How dare you impersonate her?!" He shouted, but more magic fried the ground as more shock hit me like a wrecking ball. I had been cursed for _fifty years???_**(That's a rough estimation, they said she died around fifteen in the book, but there really wasn't a date, and she still is around fifteen because she was in the coma.)**

"B-but that would m-mean…not Albus, _please_ not A-albus—" I shakily stood, and ignored the furious man, darting around him and then knelt to re-examine my own gravestone. Albus's name was not on it, but if I had heard the curse correctly, I was only free six months after he was…gone. Dead, forever. Depression threatened to shoot out more of the magic that had been storing up for _fifty years._

"_Identido." _The woman said sharply, and the sudden magic entering me immediately required that more leave in order to make room, making me cry out once more. **(This is the spell I made up, it lets the caster know if the person is truly them or not.)** The woman became extremely pale and almost dropped her wand as my body was suddenly glowing a gold color, before the magic vanished. "It's her; this is Ariana Dumbledore, Harry." She breathed, and the man shot her a look. "Oh come on, she wouldn't know who you are, who anyone alive is anyway. Ariana," she addressed me, making me flinch, "why aren't you dead? What happened to you?" She had dropped her cold demeanor, unlike her companion, who kept the wand trained on me, my own wand in his other hand.

A crack in the bushes made me freeze, the magic racing through me at the sudden noise. A vision seared across my eyes, and I saw the two people in front of me falling back from an old woman. A snake suddenly burst from her neck, the woman disappearing, and the snake launched at the pair—

As quickly as it had come, the vision was gone, leaving a rush of coldness through me. "You have to l-leave this place. An old woman is n-not what she s-seems, there is a snake in-in her, huge, and, and, it will try to hurt you." The words tumbled from my mouth as the vision ended; the first I had seen in over fifty years. The duo exchanged a frightened glance.

"How do you know this?" The man asked, raising his wand again, "How do we know you aren't trying to fool us, kill us?" The woman shot him a disgusted look.

"Didn't you see her eyes? She's a Seer, what she is saying must be true. Nagini, and possibly Voldemort are here." She cast a frightened eye around the cemetery as the man slowly lowered his wand, and looking hastily around the cemetery.

"Let's get out of here," the man took her arm, but she pulled away, looking scandalized, stepping closer to me, till she was barely a foot away. The man followed; a strange look on his face as our eyes briefly met. I quickly looked away as his eyes turned sad.

"We can't just leave her here! I recognized her because of her eyes. If I can, Voldemort certainly will. Imagine what he will do to her!" She said fiercely, stepping closer yet to me, dropping her angry expression. "If you'll come with us, we'll keep you safe from him, and you could possibly explain what—" the man cut across her, looking vivid.

"We need to leave_ right now._ Hermione, if you're right, this is incredibly dangerous. And how can we take care of her?! I want to know more just as much as you do, but—" Bolts of green coming from the bushes broke off his speech. The woman seized his arm and mine, and I was being crushed in the vacuum again. After a dizzying moment, I was sprawled out on more snow, feeling sick. I could hear the man gasp and the woman gasp too.

"It m-must have been hit by a curse," the woman stammered.

"Repair it, Hermione, please. Just try." He said, adding more force towards the end of his speech.

"_Reparo."_ I slowly sat up, head spinning, and had to rest on my elbows. Realizing that I must have Apparated with these people, and that I must have Apparated somehow to get out of the coffin, I lay back down, trying to fight back tremors. I couldn't remember the time I had suffered from so many attacks at once. My body was aching for rest, and for stamina.

"_Lumos." _ The male said shakily. "_Expelliarmus!"_ He tried again, and I heard something break.

"Harry…I'm so sorry." The woman said finally, and it sounded like she was in tears.

"I'll just use your wand on watches then." The man said faintly. "I could always use…_you took her with us?!"_ The man said angrily, realizing that along with my wand, I had come with them.

"I just reacted Harry, I'm sorry," the girl snapped, "I was under pressure. You're lucky we didn't Splinch ourselves getting here." I heard footsteps trudging over, and then, a very hesitant and light touch rested on my arm, and unwillingly, I slowly opened my heavy eyelids and found myself face to face with a different person.

"Ariana, are you alright?" She asked kindly, and I sat up quickly as the man snorted. The man also looked different, and my confusion deepened. Who were these people? "Here, stand." The woman said, and helped me up from the snowy ground. A tent was only a few feet away, along with the angry man. He had a scar on his forehead; I could see it under his hair. The strange lightning bolt shape made me curious.

"Ariana, I'm Hermione, and this is Harry." She said carefully, watching me. I looked quickly around. We were in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but snowy hills around us. My fear suddenly increased. If I needed to get away from these people, where would I go? "Come inside, both of you." She said, moving for the tent, but I stayed where I was, torn. I had no idea what was happening, the date, the year, anything. Could I trust these people, one who even hated me? Hermione's face turned sad. "No one here will hurt you. Harry, her wand?" He slowly handed it to her, and then she handed it to me. The smooth holly wand made me relax just a tad. I could protect myself at least.

"Ariana, I'm sure you have a ton of questions, but come inside before you freeze. Please." She said, and after a slight hesitation, I followed her shakily inside the tiny tent, that once inside, was not tiny at all. I sat slowly down at Hermione's request as she made tea. Harry took off a rather ugly locket, hung it up, then put a broken wand away, and I realized it was his. Hermione handed me a teacup, but I set it on my knee, too nervous to drink anything. All I knew was that Albus was dead, Fifty or so years had gone by, and I had no idea what was going on.


	2. Chapter 2

~Two

_Ariana_

"Ariana, are you alright?" Hermione asked again, watching me worriedly. I quickly nodded, looking into my tea. "Can you tell us how you are alive?" She pressed, and my hands started to tremble. These people must know me somehow, but how? Was I supposed to recognize them? Realizing I really couldn't refuse them, I tried not to give anything away.

"It was my mother. She got tired of my attacks." I said flatly, my voice still hoarse and quiet from lack of use. I felt exhausted, but I could still muster up the usual hate for my Mum. I had pleaded with her, and she still did it, even in front of Albus.

"Attacks?" Harry asked, sounding interested. I was relieved, he had been only angry in my presence, and I had gotten scared of him. I tensed as I processed what he asked.

"You saw them." I said, unwilling to go into detail, my face draining of blood at the thought. I didn't even completely understand them myself, how would I explain it to them? Harry rolled his eyes, looking frustrated.

"Yes, but how…?" He stopped as Hermione shot him a withering look, and then turned back to me.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" She asked quietly, still looking worried.

I took a deep breath. I had never shared this story with anyone, and I wouldn't if I had a choice. "A few weeks before I was to go to school, I had my books, wand, everything…the neighborhood bullies noticed that I was different. _Special._" I whispered the last word, ignoring the pain that started to seal my chest. The spot where I had been stabbed throbbed slightly. I looked back down into my tea.

"I had gone out to play, being incredibly foolish, and took my wand with me, pretending I was a fantastic sorceress. They came over, acting nice, but started to ask, well, badger me, on why I was so special and they weren't." Hermione made an angry noise in the back of her throat, but I ignored it, I couldn't look up to face them, even if they were strangers. I was telling my life story to them, and they could easily kill me if they wanted to.

"I was so tiny as a child, I didn't stand a chance, even with a wand. I had my wand on a little chain around my neck so I wouldn't lose it, by my heart. When one of them punched me, it snapped. The shards went right in my heart." I stopped talking, remembering the day in perfect clarity. Despite the attacks, the moment it stabbed me had been the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. It had flooded inside me, heating my skin until I thought I would burst…

"It didn't kill me, but sometimes I wish it had. The magic from that wand, it's loose inside me. I can't control it, but it reacts, trying to get out. It hurts." I finished almost inaudibly, tears boiling over and streaking down my face. I immediately felt pathetic. I was crying in a potentially dangerous situation, with strangers. _Oh, well done, Ariana. Why don't you just ask one for a handkerchief?_

"And then?" Harry asked, sounding angry again, but he seemed determined, like he wanted information on things I didn't know. I didn't dare refuse him.

"They thought I was alright, I got another wand, and was recovering fast enough to still go to school on September first. But then Aberforth played a practical joke on me, just a little prank, but I nearly exploded from the magic. Mum was furious; she knew I could never go to school, and she knew I could never be' fixed'. She insisted I stay home, be taught from home. Overtime, the fits got worse and worse. Even the Muggle police would be called to the house because I would scream and scream." I glared lifelessly into my cold cup of tea, miles away from the cold tent, in my memories.

"It was always better during the summer. A-albus and Aberforth were always kinder, more patient. Albus had a friend, Grindelwald, he always made me laugh. He found my attacks interesting instead of a liability, and he would help me try to control them, but it was still hard. One day, I have no idea why, I had one of the worst fits I had had in months. Albus was home for Christmas, and he heard Mum screaming at me. He came up the stairs, and she cursed me. It was something about six months after the eldest is gone…" A tear fell loudly into my cup of tea, and I noticed both of my companions had stiffened.

"Can you remember more about the curse?" Hermione asked finally. I closed my eyes for a second, trying to remember the moment that had played so frequently, so monotonously in my head. It seemed so long ago now. It took a while, to make sure I had it right.

"_You shall be dead until six months after the eldest is gone._" I whispered finally. "Then she added something I couldn't understand, it sounded like it was a different language."

"Dark Magic." Hermione said angrily, almost like she was swearing. I said nothing. "So…the curse broke?" She asked finally, seeming unwilling to ask the question. The way she said it made me wonder why she sounded so sad.

"It must have. When I realized I was free, and that A-albus was dead," I closed my eyes for a second as I let the fact sink into my brain once more. He really was gone. "I panicked, and right before I had another fit, I think I Apparated, I had to get out of- of the coffin." For a moment, no one spoke. "He really is gone then?" I whispered finally, and I saw Hermione nod out of the corner of my eye. "Ouch," I hissed as the magic blossomed from my fingers again, reacting to the intense depression that had washed over me.

"I'm sorry, Ariana." Hermione said finally, and she sounded more depressed than I was. I shook my head lightly, finally daring to look up. Harry looked like a statue, a horrified look on his face, yet he looked deep in thought. Hermione looked weepy. "Why should you be sorry?" I asked finally, and Harry seemed to come alive again.

"Dumbledore." He said faintly. My confusion was immediate.

"He means Albus, Albus Dumbledore." Hermione clarified quickly, and despite my sadness, my curiosity spiked.

"You only refer to him as Dumbledore? Why?" I asked, slightly disturbed that I wanted to laugh. Albus always preferred as a kid to be only called Albus, saying his last name to his face would earn you some sort of payback. It was ironic that that was what these two people called him.

"He was the greatest wizard of all time. Discovered the twelve uses of dragons blood, defeated Grindelwald, extremely gifted wizard, Order of Merlin, First Class, Headmaster of Hogwarts…" Hermione stopped talking as she noticed that I had paled further.

"_D-defeated?_" I croaked. That wasn't possible. Albus and Gellert had been inseparable. The best of friends, nothing had come between them when they were young. As soon as they had met, they were each others closest confidant.

"Grindelwald became a dark wizard. Dumbledore was the only wizard strong enough to stop him." Harry said, looking gloomy. I buried my face in my hands. Gellert had been incredibly kind, funny; smart…I couldn't believe he had become a Dark Wizard…

"What were you doing in the graveyard at Godric's Hollow? That is where we were, right?" I asked, my voice muffled by my hands, trying to take my mind away from the fact that Gellert had become dark. My hair was giving me a headache on top of my emotions; it was in an updo, probably to make me look presentable for the funeral. Usually my hair was long and thin. My head pounded, almost threatening me with another fit.

"Yes, it was Godric's Hollow. We were visiting graves." Hermione said quickly. I looked up, unwilling to believe her.

"Looking like Muggles? Why the precaution?" I challenged. Harry and Hermione looked at each other.

"A new dark wizard rose to power, who likes to call himself Voldemort. He seemed unstoppable until a prophecy was made by a Seer, which predicted his downfall on the actions of a child. That child is Harry." Hermione started, sounding unsure. I raised my eyebrows, surprised. Another dark wizard? "He tried to kill Harry as a baby, but the curse failed because of old magic. Harry got away with a scar. Voldemort was gone for eleven years, until he started to rise to power once more, and he has been hunting Harry ever since. More recently, around six months ago, his Death Eaters, his followers, got into Hogwarts…Albus was killed." Hermione stopped as my face twisted. This man was responsible for the death of my brother.

"Voldemort split his soul into Horcruxes, seven of them. Dumbledore left us the job of finding them all and destroying them. After that, Voldemort can be killed for good." Harry ended bitterly.

"I still don't understand why you were in Godric's Hollow. Voldemort didn't live there, did he?" I asked, and Hermione gave me a ghost of a smile.

"No, he did not. Harry's parents used to, we were visiting their graves. Voldemort murdered them when he tried to kill Harry." Hermione was crying again. Harry sat rigid for the whole time Hermione continued to explain most of what I had missed. By the time she had finished, the sun had started to rise, and both of them looked as tired as I felt. My brain was pounding with new facts about the last fifty years.

"That…git," I was surprised to hear myself say disgustedly, trying and failing to summarize my true level of disgust for Voldemort. Harry roared with laughter, surprising me.

"You could say that," he said finally, the exhaustion coming back to his face as he stopped laughing.

"If you don't mind, I would love to help kill this man, the man responsible for Albus's death." I said fervently, ignoring the look on Hermione's face. It was the least I could do for Albus, and where was I going to go anyway? I was supposed to be dead.

"You're too recognizable. When Hermione and I first got a good look at you from under the cloak, she realized you had to be a Dumbledore because of your eyes." Harry interjected.

"Good. Every time he sees me, he can be reminded of what he did." I hesitated, trying to calm down; I had spoken harshly. I was starting to tremble again, and that was never a good sign. Hermione moved, and it set me off, making me gasp and freeze. Suddenly, I was in a vision.

Harry was slowly drowning in a pool. He had almost nothing on, but the ugly locket he had taken off earlier was tightening around his neck as he sluggishly tugged on it. Light from above was dim; there was ice on the top of the pool. I heard a female voice shouting something, and what I recognized as faint wandlight moved above, searching. Below Harry was a giant sword, encrusted with red rubies and diamonds. Another person suddenly jumped into the pool, a red-head, and broke the Horcrux off Harry's neck, reached down and grabbed the sword, then lifted Harry out…

"Ariana!" Hermione's voice snapped me back to reality, making me stiffen even more. "A vision?" She asked, satisfied that I wasn't dying or injured, but was looking very pale. Hastily wiping the horror from my face, I quickly looked down. "Are you alright, what did you see?" She asked in almost a panicked tone.

"Harry, whatever you do, do _not_ jump into a pool that's frozen. Another person, someone with red hair has to save you from drowning." I said almost inaudibly, and Hermione's face froze over as Harry looked up in surprise.

"_What?"_ He asked, slowly standing up. I was assuming the red-head was their friend Ron they had mentioned, and I assumed that both of them were testy about him ever since he had left.

"You were in a pool, with that Horcrux around your neck, and a red-head saved you from drowning." I clarified, but Hermione stood up so suddenly, I jumped, magic flashing from my fingers and shattering the cup of tea at my reaction.

"Tell us everything you saw, any detail is important!" She said breathlessly, looking incredibly hopeful. Harry slowly sat back down, looking bewildered.

"Harry wasn't well," I flushed, "dressed in much of anything, that's why I could see the Horcrux. It was doing something weird, almost shortening around the cord." I closed my eyes, trying to recall all the details for Hermione as she muttered something I couldn't hear. "Then the red-head jumped in, broke the Horcrux chain, it must have been strangling you Harry," Hermione made a frantic noise at that, "and picked up something at the bottom of the pool, it looked like a sword—"

"_WHAT?"_ Harry asked again, making me open my eyes. He and Hermione were incredibly pale, both of them on their feet.

"You don't think it's the same sword you were after in Godric's Hollow?" I asked as they just looked at each other.


	3. Chapter 3

~Three

_Ariana_

"Describe the sword," Harry said quickly, looking excited.

"It was very big; it had red stones in it…" I trailed off as Harry smiled a real grin.

"That's it! That's the sword of Godric Gryffindor! Did you see where it was?" He pressed as Hermione reached into the tiny beaded bag and pulled out a book. I shook my head, and his face filled with disappointment.

"Do you have any idea where Albus might have left it? His biography gives nothing away," she said, dropping her book. Glancing over, I saw his eyes. I slowly walked over and picked it up, examining the face on the cover. I could tell it was Albus right away. His eyes were as happy as ever, his nose still crooked from when Aberforth tried to curse him, his short blond hair replaced by long white hair, and a full beard, something I had never seen him with before. I stared at his face for several seconds, trying to realize that he had actually aged and died, while I lay dormant in the ground. I glanced at the rest of the book and frowned at the title.

"_The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore?"_ I read the title angrily. How could someone talk about Albus like that?

"That biography is by the most horrid woman you will ever meet, Rita Skeeter, it's a bunch of lies—" I ignored Hermione and flipped it open, furiously looking through the table of contents, my anger growing as I read the name of each chapter. I turned to the page she had dog-eared and Hermione paled, twitching as if she was going to stand, but she didn't. I read the page, shaking in anger, and then froze as I read the last paragraph.

And how did the mysterious Ariana die? Was she the inadvertent victim of some Dark rite? Did she stumble across something she ought not to have done, as the two young men sat practicing for their attempt at glory and domination? Is it possible that Ariana Dumbledore was the first person to die 'for the greater good'?

"Ariana, it's rubbish, it's not at all legit," Hermione started frantically, anxiously, watching me. My whole body was almost vibrating with the magic, at any time it would release…

"How…_dare_ she." I whispered, the book making a creaking noise as my hands tightened their grip on the terrible biography of my eldest brother, one, I realized, I didn't even know. "How _dare_ she even think that he would kill his own sister, much less write it in his _biography_?!" I dropped the book, my anger fading, replaced by sadness, making me feel weak. I collapsed back on the chair, fighting back the magic, tears flowing down my face. No one moved. I picked up the book again, turning slowly back to the page, then to the beginning of the chapter.

"Don't, Ariana. It's not worth it." Hermione said quietly, sounding distressed.

"I want to know who he was." I said firmly, not even listening to her anymore as I read. Ice seemed to replace the magic in my veins as I read Albus's letter, realizing at once that he had lied to me. _It's just a big joke, Ariana, I don't take it seriously. Neither does Gellert. Relax._ I could hear his words in my head as clear as a bell. But he had changed, according to Hermione and Harry. He had become a fierce fighter against the Dark Arts. And yet, as s teenager, he had been obsessed with it. Obsessed with showing Muggles where they belonged, and the Deathly Hallows, that's all he cared about.

By the time I finally closed the book after only reading a few pages, I heard the howling of a storm around the tent, and Hermione had fallen asleep. Harry looked exhausted, turning the Horcrux around in his hand. For the first time, I also found myself to be shivering in the cold air of the tent. I stood, hating the funeral gown I was currently wearing, with its high stiff collar and bell sleeves, and dropped the book on the chair, making Harry look up.

"In the time I knew Dumbledore, he showed nothing but kindness to me. That book is full of lies." He said quietly, setting the Horcrux down. I couldn't believe him, he didn't sound sure.

"Lies he told. I grew up with Albus, just by reading a page of that book, I discovered a lie. How many lies could he have told the world?" I asked rhetorically, picking up my wand with a sigh. "Albus always told just enough lies to keep him out of trouble with my mother, but she deserved it, that's all she taught him. Just lies and deceit." I laughed faintly at the memories and waved my wand, cleaning up the mess of the teacup I destroyed. Then I just stared at the floor, trying to force my tired brain to think clearly.

"Why do you think he left hunting the Horcruxes for me to do?" Harry asked randomly, almost desperately, and I looked up. He had a bit of desperation to his face; like he wanted an answer he thought didn't exist.

"Albus always had a plan, and even if we didn't understand it, it always worked out in the end." I said softly, transfiguring my dress into a tight fitting jacket, and pants similar to Hermione's. Then I changed my high-heeled shoes to the last pair of sneakers I had seen, Albus's, as he came up the stairs. I looked back up to see Harry looking unconvinced. "From what I've heard, you are destined to kill Voldemort. Starting with the Horcruxes will get the job done. Like you said, it's the only way." Hermione stirred, than sat upright, shivering.

"Is it me, or is it colder?" She asked, getting up and peeking outside the tent. I could have sworn I saw something move, but I wasn't sure. Snow was blowing around fiercely, making the tent shake lightly from the howling winds.

"It has gotten colder. We should move to get more shelter." Hermione yawned, and then went around the tent, shoving things into the tiny beaded bag. When they were ready, we Apparated to a dark forest. Hermione started casting protective spells as I set up the tent with my wand. I saw Harry's look of almost envy, and paused.

"Here." I said, holding it out to him. He blinked. "Take it. I was taught all the spells I know by my mother, you went to school. It makes more sense for you to use it, you're certainly more qualified." I said, and he slowly took it, and then looked surprised.

"What is this wand made of?" He asked, examining it.

"Holly and phoenix feather, 14 inches. It was the closest to my original wand, which was pretty much the same thing, but longer. Why?" I asked as Hermione came over.

"Holly and phoenix feather?" Harry asked faintly, and I looked at Hermione, who looked at me, then my wand, starting to smile.

"Yes…is something wrong?" I asked, starting to get worried as Harry started to laugh. He sounded incredibly relieved as he continued to examine my wand.

"Harry's wand was holly and phoenix feather too, but 11 inches, and a different phoenix obviously." Hermione said, "But since your wands are so similar, it will work better for him than mine will." Harry looked thrilled as he pointed the wand at Hermione.

"_Expelliarmus_!" He said enthusiastically, and Hermione's wand soared out of her hand and Harry caught it, but then threw it back.

"Good. Hold onto it." I said firmly, and then went into the tent, starting to shiver in the cold air. Wishing faintly that I had more clothing, I plopped back into the chair. Hermione and Harry followed, both looking pleased. Harry volunteered for first watch, and Hermione went immediately to bed, but I found I couldn't sleep, despite my tiredness. I sat down with my brother's biography, trying to learn more about him. I had read five chapters when I heard Harry call, "No, come back!" I peeked out of the tent flap, and saw Harry following a silver shape into the woods.

"Harry?" I called, running after, afraid of losing the light and him in the woods, and getting lost in their black depths without a wand. After a few minutes, I caught up. Harry was in a tiny little clearing, wand raised, looking around by its light. The silver light had vanished, leaving the clearing darker.

"Harry?" I called, stepping into the light to avoid being attacked. He flinched, but as I stepped closer, he relaxed. "What was that?" I asked, coming to stand next to him, but stopping as I saw a pool at the far end of the tiny clearing, making my heart stop as Harry said something about a silver doe. He caught my gaze and after a slight hesitation, bounded forward. I forced myself to follow, and from my wand's light, a silver cross was visible at the bottom of the pool.

"Ariana…this is it!" Harry said excitedly, almost breathlessly, after trying to summon the sword.

"Harry, are you crazy?" I said as he passed me the wand and took off one of his sweaters, then another, starting to shiver. "Did you not hear me when I said that you would nearly drown in this pool?" I raised my voice as he took off another sweater, dropping it at the edge. I seized his wrist before he could take off his final sweater. "Harry, my visions aren't always accurate. What if your friend doesn't show?"

"Ariana, that sword will destroy this Horcrux!" He pulled out the Horcrux from under his sweater with his free hand, and it shimmered in the light of the wand. "No matter what, we have to get it out, and this is the only way." He pulled free and took off his sweater, starting to shiver more violently in just his t-shirt.

"Can't you wait? I'll get Hermione, someone with another wand, someone who can get you out of the pool if the red-haired wonder doesn't show. Do you honestly think I can pull you and a giant sword out of the pool, even with magic?" Harry wasn't listening; he was taking off his shoes, then his socks.

"The 'red-haired wonder' is my best mate, he'll show." He said calmly, undoing his pants.

"You're willing to trust your life to the visions of a crazy woman?" I snapped as he pulled them off. He threw me a withering look as he dropped the jeans onto the pile.

"You're a Seer." He stated the obvious, taking off the pouch around his neck, then looked at the pool. I rolled my eyes.

"That doesn't mean I'm always right. Will you at least take off the thing that's supposed to-hey!" I said angrily as he snatched my wand back, and split the ice. "Harry," I fumbled with my wand as he nearly threw it back, "take off the Horcrux! Harry!" I shouted as he jumped in, cold water soaking me. "Damn it!" I cursed angrily, and then jumped in surprise as a red-head ran out of the woods. He must have heard me shouting.

"Go get him before he drowns!" I snapped, pointing to the pool. The red-head came closer, wand pointed at me, looking unsure. "He will drown if you don't pull him out, now go!" I cried and he peeked into the pool, swore, and then dove in. Nervously, I knelt at the edge, and then backed up quickly when the red-head dropped Harry at the edge of the pool, Horcrux in one hand, the sword in the other.

"Are—you—_mental?_" The red-head spluttered to Harry, wiping his hair off his face. I waved my wand and conjured two towels, and threw one at the red-head, making him start in surprise. I walked toward Harry and threw the towel at him.

"I _told_ you that you would drown, but did you listen? _No!_ Even though I _told_ you that I wouldn't be able to pull you out, even with magic I wouldn't be able to! Do you have a death wish?" I rebuked him, waving my wand with a shaking hand and hot air came from the tip, drying him off.

"Who is she?" The red-head asked, drying off his face, starting to shiver.

"Long story," Harry said finally through chattering teeth, reaching for his clothes.

"Then why the hell didn't you take this off before you dived, like she said?" He asked, shaking the Horcrux in his hand as Harry dressed, and I lowered my wand as he stood.

"I- wait, it was you after all?" He said, looking at the red haired boy like he was a saint.

"I'm the one who's wet, aren't I?" He said, but Harry shook his head.

"You cast the doe?"

"What? Of course not! I thought that was you!" Satisfied that neither of them were going to die today, I turned to go.

"Wait; hold on, Ariana, where are you going?" Harry called.

"If I can trust you not to be suicidal again, I thought it would be good for Hermione to be here." I said, turning and seeing Harry smile sheepishly, while his friend turned a shade of red to match his hair. I turned and almost ran back to the tent, not wanting to be alone in the woods at night. Hermione was asleep, and I almost felt bad waking her up, she looked exhausted.

"Hermione, Harry found the pool with the sword, and his friend Ron showed up," I said once she was up and dressed. Hermione shrieked, dropping her wand.

"_What?_ Is Harry alright, is Ron still there? Is that why you're wet?" She asked, snatching up her wand again, grabbing my wrist and dragging me out of the tent. The night had gotten darker, if that was possible, and snow had started to fall once more. "Where are they? Is it far?"

"Look, they're fine." I pointed to the light coming through the trees, and after a moment, their voices reached us before they did. The man named Ron and Harry were just emerging from the trees, sword and Horcrux with them. When they looked up, Ron stopped, and so did Harry. Hermione walked slowly over, almost like a zombie, and stopped in front of Ron, and it was only then I understood that Hermione loved him; she started punching every inch of him she could reach.


	4. Chapter 4

~Four

_Ariana_

Hermione started losing control, and I backed up instinctively as she started screaming at Ron. Harry had to disarm Hermione before she hexed him. I stayed far away: if they started dueling, I knew the flashes of light would set me off, and I didn't want to hurt anyone. Only when Hermione calmed down, and Ron had explained himself did Harry give her back her wand. I had stayed well out of the circle of their lit wands, letting them finish before Hermione looked around herself, seeming out of place and spotted me. She flushed a delicate pink but beckoned me over, and unwillingly, I stepped into the light.

"Ron, you remember that story, about Dumbledore's sister that your Aunt told at the wedding? It wasn't true, she never actually died." Hermione said carefully, ignoring me as I stiffened slightly at her words. Ron snorted.

"Come off it, Hermione. You can't possibly think this girl is…wait, what did you call her, Harry?" He said suddenly, paling slightly so his freckles stood out. "You called her Ariana…oh come on, you don't believe it too!" He shook his head as Harry nodded silently.

"It's her, Hermione checked. Her dear old mum cursed her, kept her 'dead' for six months after Dumbledore's death…we found her in Godric's Hollow when we went there. She knew about the pool, you heard her…she knew about it because she's a Seer, that's why her mum cursed her." Harry said to him, and that's when I noticed the blackened Horcrux in his hand.

"You destroyed it?" I questioned, and he handed it to me. I examined it as Ron finally whistled, looking bewildered.

"Merlin's beard…" I looked up to see him staring at me, and neither of us said anything for a while. "Your eyes," He said stupidly, after a long moment, and I flushed, passing the Horcrux to Hermione.

"They are Albus's, yes. Aberforth has the same ones." I said quietly, and then I shivered as a sharp breeze blew into the clearing. I had transfigured my dress into the warmest jacket I knew of, and the tightest, to keep in heat, but my magic wasn't nearly as strong enough to keep me warm.

"What are we doing? Come inside the tent." Hermione led the way, and I gratefully came back inside the shelter, standing behind the chair, feeling jittery. She was extremely cold to Ron, but seemed to put the kindness she wanted to show him towards me, having me look through the book Albus left her in his will. She pointed out the symbol I had seen many, _many_ times, Gellert and Albus had drawn it on everything, their books, their rooms, they doodled it everywhere, signed it in their names…

"I know that mark," I said sharper than I had intended, and Ron and Harry stopped talking, looking curious. Hermione didn't brighten.

"We know its Grindelwald's mark, but can you tell us what it means?" she asked, but I was shaking my head already. I didn't know where she had gotten her information, but it was wrong.

"That isn't Gellert's mark. That is the sign of the Deathly Hallows." Hermione looked confused.

"Who's Gellert?" Ron asked, but stopped talking under Hermione's ferocious glare.

"Ariana, this is a dark symbol, it's carved into the walls at Durmstrang." Hermione said gently, but I shook my head again.

"Gellert and Albus would doodle that mark all over the place, but it's not dark, at least, it wasn't when I was…" I stopped. I had wanted to say 'alive.' I pushed on, ignoring Hermione as she went to speak up again.

"There is nothing Dark about the Hallows, at least, not in the simple sense of it all. Foolish people like my brother and Gellert would place it everywhere, hoping someone would help them with their little Quest. Considering Gellert went to Durmstrang, I'm not surprised that it ended up there." I shook my head, starting to smile, remembering when I was a little kid, and how I said I wanted to help.

"See? When I was a child, they thought I was serious, so they made sure I had the symbol on me at all times, so that if I saw it somewhere, I could tell them, even though I could never leave the house. They did it to make me feel better." I rolled up my right sleeve and pointed my wand at it. My whole skin seemed to swim, and then the same mark in _The Tales of the Beetle Bard_ appeared on the inside of my wrist.

"Oi!" Ron barked, backing up as the symbol vanished again. "That's like a Dark Mark that is!"

"It's not a Dark Mark, Ron, it isn't a brand." Hermione snapped, making him quiet once more. "But what _are_ the Deathly Hallows?"

"You've read the story, Hermione. The one about the three brothers?" I asked. Hermione nodded, as did Ron, but Harry looked confused.

"Three Brothers?" He echoed, so Hermione read the story out loud. Harry still looked confused when she finished. "But what are the Deathly Hallows then?" He asked, so I sat down by Hermione and borrowed her quill, and then flipped over a worn piece of parchment that she was using as a bookmark.

"The Elder Wand," I said, and drew the straight line, like I had so many times before, "The Resurrection Stone," I drew the circle, "And the Invisibility Cloak." I drew the triangle, sealing the image.

"But they never mention the Deathly Hallows in the story." Harry said finally, as they all stared at the image.

"The story is that, a story. It's meant for children. Some people take it seriously, however, and are still hunting for the three Deathly Hallows."

"But you don't believe in it, do you?" Hermione asked, looking skeptical. I laughed.

"No, no I don't. Albus and Gellert could never find a true Invisibility Cloak, a Resurrection Stone that wasn't fake, or a magic wand better than anyone other wizard's. They trained me to examine objects people claimed to be Hallows, I had nothing else to do, sitting in the house all day. I never found any proof that they could be real."

"When you say _true_ cloak…?" Ron spoke up bravely, ignoring Hermione's glare, but then her expression changed, as if something was dawning on her.

"Most cloaks are charmed to be invisible, and can fail over time. Or, they can be made from Demiguise hair, but those eventually fail too, they turn opaque. I'm referring to a cloak that renders the wearer completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spell is cast at it. So, it's obviously a fairy tale, I've never seen anything like it." I finished, slightly irritated that the three of them were looking thrilled.

"I don't' think so…" Harry said quietly, and went to his rucksack, dug around, then pulled out a cloak. He handed it to me, and it felt like water in my hands.

"It's a very nice one…but…" I put it on, and gasped. You could see straight through it and me…I was invisible, truly, 100% invisible. I pulled it off and examined it closely, drawing my wand. I placed the tip on it and tried a Disillusionment Charm, but nothing happened. I slowly sat down, letting the cloak slither out of my hands and onto the floor. "You have a Hallow. You have the third Hallow, or a cloak matching that description." I whispered finally. I couldn't' believe it, Albus had been right…

"That's not possible. What about the other two? A stone that can bring people back from the dead? A wand that is capable of beating any other wand it comes across?" Hermione said sarcastically, taking the cloak into her lap, also examining it closely.

"It's a Hallow, Hermione, it fits the exact description. I grew up with two 'Questers.' If it was a well made fake made with a Disillusionment Charm, the same spell placed on it again would have destroyed the one in place, making it a normal cloak. It makes you absolutely invisible. I would bet my life on it." I said, closing my eyes and pressing my fingertips to my temples as I felt more and more jittery. I was also in disbelief. I had spent a good part of my childhood examining pieces Albus and Gellert brought back (as I was never allowed to leave the house) and reading book after book for them about the Deathly Hallows.

"And the other two?" Hermione said finally, not looking totally convinced. "How am I supposed to believe that?"

"The Stone I cannot convince you, as I haven't found proof of it myself. But the wand has endless evidence. This wand has gotten into the history books. In order to be able to completely take the wand, you have to conquer the person who has it. Egbert the Egregious killed Emeric the Evil for it, Godelot was killed by his own son, Hereward…the proof is there." Hermione frowned, but didn't contradict me.

_Snape_

When I got back from the forest, I went straight to Voldemort. I may have sworn to protect the Potter boy and his crones, but the girl was a different story. Albus had used me, his sister would pay the price. I knocked on the chamber door, and I heard Voldemort call me inside.

"My Lord." I muttered, kissing his robes then backing up, to face him.

"What is it now, Severus?" he asked, looking bored as he stroked the head of his snake. I told him the story of hearing the girl in the woods. I left out the information about Potter, Weasley, and Granger. I had made Dumbledore a promise, for Lily.

"And you believe that story? That a girl with likeness to Ariana is claiming to be her with magical powers? Severus, you are a fool." Voldemort said softly, looking irritated.

"Forgive me, my Lord. But I saw the girl's eyes. You can view the memory. She had a vision while I was there. It fits Bathilda Bagshot's memories. I believe that Ariana Dumbledore is still alive." Voldemort leaned forward.

"And what was the vision, Severus?" He asked, looking slightly interested.

"She was predicting a death, my Lord. She Disapparated soon after, or I would have brought her here." I said, and Lord Voldemort thought about it, leaning back again.

"She could be incredibly useful to me, Severus, if you are correct. Show me the memory." He commanded, Summoning his Pensieve. I gave him the carefully altered memory, and after he viewed it, an evil smile was stretching over his face.

"Nagini says that as Bathilda, while trying to capture the Potter boy and his worthless Mudblood saw the girl there. Did you see Potter with the girl?"

"I did not, my Lord. She was alone." I lied, but Voldemort was already nodding.

"But what matters is that she probably travels with them now…imagine, Severus, capturing Potter, the Mudblood, Potter's sidekick…and Ariana Dumbledore." Voldemort savored her name, looking satisfied. "You will be rewarded, Severus, if you or any other Death Eater manages to find her and bring her to me…alive."

"Very well, my Lord. Very well."


	5. Chapter 5

~Five

_Ariana_

We kept moving as the months passed. Harry had become obsessed with the Hallows, while Ron, Hermione and I continued to work on the Horcruxes. I wouldn't tell Harry any more about the Hallows when he asked, trying to get him back on track. He only joined the conversations once, when I brought up the idea of a Horcrux being at Hogwarts, the place Voldemort supposedly called home. He had agreed with me, but Ron and Hermione thought it was rubbish.

One night in March, the three of them were listening to a radio station while I sat up in a bunk, staring at Albus's face from the cover of his biography. His smile was doleful, but I wanted so badly to see him, even though I knew he was dead. I absentmindedly played with a lock of my hair as Ron blurted out something that sounded like 'Kingsley'.

I slid off the bunk and put the book back in the bag with a sigh. Harry was using the blackthorn wand, so mine was in my pocket. It made me feel safer for some reason, even though I knew I could trust Ron, Hermione and Harry. Hermione hissed something along the lines of "Lupin" and my breathing stopped as a vision seared across my senses.

Someone was screaming, screaming with extreme pain, the voice high and scared. The room was dark, but a intense blue fire was going in the fireplace, and blue light was gently illuminating parts of the room. People were laughing, laughing, laughing, but only a dark green ceiling could be seen, and a antique and old chandelier. Far below, shouting voices could barely be heard, calling a name in fear, in desperation…

With a sudden jolt, I was back in the tent, quivering. I had paled, and one hand was holding the back of the chair tightly, to keep me up as I thought hard. Hermione, Harry and Ron were still staring at the radio; they had not seen the latest vision. I was keen to wait, whenever I had one, they were always frantic to know what it was about, thinking I had seen a Horcrux. But I couldn't' tell them much; I couldn't even see who had been screaming, where it was, or who was there. Harry, Ron and Hermione started arguing, but I ignored it, staring blankly at the side of the tent, trying to understand. Who had been screaming, and why? The vision had only been of a dark lit room and ceiling, with people standing around. Was it really at all important?

"HARRY, NO!" Ron bellowed, making me jump, but the magic stayed inside for once, my throat had gone dry as I realized why I had seen the vision. The vision had been from my perspective, that's why I had only seen the ceiling. I had been the one screaming in pain.

"Come out of there with your hands up!" came a rasping voice from outside the tent, making me flinch again, and I barely managed to force the magic to stay inside, my fear, confusion and shock were making it difficult. I hadn't resisted an attack for very long, and I couldn't have an attack now. Hermione turned and shot a spell straight into Harry's face; he keeled over as people burst into the tent. Two came for me, took my wand, and forced me out of the tent. I was stiff, completely rigid, trying harder than I ever had to keep the magic inside. It was making me tremble so much; I could feel my feet moving in my shoes.

I could barely hear people talking, the hands holding me, or even my own breathing. The magic was racing through my veins. Suddenly, something hit me in the stomach, and I fell, curling into a ball as the magic pushed and pushed. "I _said,_ what's your name?!" A voice roared, and foul breath washed over me.

"Kara," I groaned, making up a name on the spot. The voice chuckled.

"Your last name?" It asked, nudging me with a cold boot.

"Kara Wilkins." I groaned through clenched teeth, still trembling.

"You sick or something? Is she sick? I don't want to catch a disease." The voice said with disgust, asking someone else when I didn't answer. Laughter came from all around.

"She's a crazy woman we found in the forest. She has no idea who she is, ask her again. She'll say a different name." Hermione's voice was trembling; she knew what I was doing, and how close I was to a fit.

"What's your name there, gorgeous?" The voice was back, nudging me again.

"Olive Thornby I reckon," I said almost inaudibly, the magic starting to take over. "I think I'm explosive." I added, dazed by the magic pounding in my head, it felt like I was drunk, but I had to let Ron, Hermione and Harry know. The laughter continued. Was this the vision I had seen, and had I mistaken a ceiling for the night sky? Was I going to have an intense fit again, like the one that got me cursed in the first place? "And I see things…I saw a room, people were laughing, someone was screaming, someone was calling a name, and the person screaming was exploding-" I ranted quickly, letting Harry, Hermione and Ron know what I had seen, my stomach clenching at the thought.

"Oh, and you'll blow at any second, right? Bah, what crap. Let's see her face, shall we? Maybe we can identify her with out a name." Long fingernails punctured my skin and just like that, I screamed only once, the magic blasting me off my feet and I landed a few feet away, the breath knocked out of me, the magic still coming. The ground was thawing beneath me, people were shouting…and then it was over. I was on my side, gasping for air, my face awash with tears. I stayed totally limp, my lungs searing. Blood rolled steadily just under my jawbone from the puncture.

"What the bloody hell was that?! She burned the rope right off!" A different voice said, and hauled me to my feet by the neck of my robes, forcing my face into the light, retying my hands. "Ay, you do it, Greyback. I don't wanna touch this thing for very long." The man grunted. A hulking disgusting man with the bad breath took my chin, searching my face. His nails scratched my neck.

"She wasn't lying, she was explosive. I wonder if she'll do it again!" A voice said, and there were more hoots of laughter, but the man called Greyback in front of me looked at a clipboard and snarled, making the laughter die instantly. Then he looked back in my face, stroking my cheek with his disgusting nails, scooping tears from my cheeks. He stared long and hard into my eyes.

"I don't believe it," he said, then marched over to a group of people, all tied together. I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione among them, but Harry's face looked like it had been burned. He knelt in front of Hermione, and consulted the list, then looked back at me, then back to her. "This one looks a hell of a lot like you, little girly. I don't think you are Penelope Clearwater at all…I think you're Hermione Granger, I know it!" The man roared, moving to Harry. "And if she's traveling with Potter…he stared at Harry's bloated face for several minutes, and then re-consulted his list as the Snatchers whispered furiously with each other, looking at Harry. I felt my stomach plummet, my face pale.

"That idiot over there is probably the blood traitor…which means, which means…" The man flipped through his list like a madman, coming to the last page, which he tore out and came back, looked at it, then at me. "Let me see those eyes girl." He almost cooed, tilting my face, making my jaw clench as his nails dug into my skin again, blood staining my shirt. "I KNEW IT! We've got Potter, Granger, the Weasley boy, and the one the Dark Lord wanted! Look at this Scabior, she looks identical, and Snape drew this himself from a memory! This is her!" My stomach dropped further, my face draining of any remaining color. How did they know who I was, and why did Voldemort want me, of all people, especially over Harry? When had this Snape man seen me? My hands started to quake again, and the hands holding me suddenly released.

"Ay, Greyback, this 'un is tremblin' again, and I don't want it explodin' on me." A voice said, but I made no movement, except for the trembling. Greyback came back over, read the page, and then smiled a huge smile. "We're going to the Malfoy Manor, now!" He barked, taking me by the hair over to the other prisoners. The Apparation made me start vibrating, but Greyback didn't let go as we marched along a path, through gates, then into a house. I could barely focus; the magic was coming back strongly, pushing my limits again.

Suddenly, I was by a fire, Greyback's arms wrapped around me, his putrid breath by my ear. My vision was hazy, but I could see the circle of prisoners standing under the chandelier. "I'd quit that right now," Greyback whispered in my ear as I trembled some more, "or I'll have to eat you." His teeth snapped by my ear, but my shuddering continued, making my eyes close. The conversation was lost, it hurt so much to keep the magic in, but I knew it would hurt more when released…

"Take them downstairs, all of them but that one, Greyback. If she is a Seer, she can surely tell me, maybe tell me even more…" A woman panted, her eyes hooded, and Greyback slowly let go, untied me, then shoved the knot of people away. If they were speaking, if anyone was speaking, I couldn't hear it, there was a roaring in my ears, and the magic pulsed again, making my heart beat faster…

"Oh, be careful, Bellatrix. She's funky, that one. She gets this stuff coming out of her when she trembles too hard, and it burns everything. She's a freak, she is." Greyback said faintly, as he went down the stairs. The woman in front of me came closer, tilted my head up and stared into my eyes. I didn't lower my eyes or look away.

"The Dark Lord was right…Ariana Dumbledore…the Seer kept secret, I guess she's not a Squib after all." She hissed, pushing my hair far back to see my whole face. "I see the resemblance…look here, girl. See this, this sword?" The sword of Godric Gryffindor was suddenly by my face, and the sudden reflection made me shriek and the magic to burst, like water from a dam. After several seconds, it was over, and I was on the floor again, struggling for breath. The shaking had subsided, for now. Bellatrix was laughing, and as I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling, the ceiling from my vision, and dread seeped into me. "Where did you get the sword, girl? Where did they get it?"

_Harry_

Luna sawed with the nail, and the room was suddenly illuminated as the intense blue light from Ariana's attacks shined through the floor boards, making eerie reflections on the walls. Bellatrix started to laugh as the rope fell away. There was quiet talk, a loud clang, and then the light flooded the room fully, and Ariana was screaming in terrible pain.

"Ariana!?" I shouted at the ceiling, looking frantically around for an exit…

_Ariana_

"It's f-fake." I said as calmly, making up the first thing that came to my head, looking into her eyes, almost glaring at her. "They thought it would help them—" The woman shook her head angrily, dropping the sword with a _clang_.

"You're lying! Crucio!" She shrieked, and then I was screaming higher than I have in my life, magic burning the carpet, bouncing off the walls, turning the fire a wicked shade of blue—And then it stopped. Faintly, I could hear people shouting my name downstairs as the Death Eaters standing around roared with laughter. "You went to Gringotts, didn't you?! You've been in the vault, I know it! Tell me!' She shrieked as I shook against the floor, gasping silently.

"They found it, they thought it was real, but it's fake, it's fake!!" I screamed, the magic burning me. She fired the curse at me again, but I rolled over and it missed me, burning a hole in the remains of the carpet.

"How _dare_ you! You lying little freak! _Crucio!!"_ She smiled as she said it, and I was screaming again, writhing in agony, magic once again bouncing around the room, making me glow, and the wood floor was hot beneath me. Then, it stopped. "Now, Ariana, you have one more chance. Tell me where they got the sword, and I'll stop hurting you." Bellatrix said loudly, making me groan as my head swam from exhaustion. She kicked me and I shrieked, more magic coming out. Someone shouted my name downstairs again and I heard pounding as Bellatrix actually giggled. "Tell, vermin." She spat, kicking me again, a dull thud resounding from the kick around the dead silent room.

"Please, p-please," I gasped, forcing my shaking body to start to get up, but Bellatrix fired her curse again, and it felt like my skin was melting off, I was burning up in the fire, it consumed everything, my own screams ringing in my ears. Suddenly, my insides came to a standstill, my scream cut off abruptly. I felt my eyes widen to things unseen…

_Harry was motionless in a giant's arms, and I knew he was dead. The giant emerged from the forest, along with Death Eaters and Voldemort. People were screaming all around me, and the man who had to be Voldemort was laughing, brandishing a long wand and laughing. I felt strangely full, yet frozen, something throbbing in my head. The world seemed to slow down as Voldemort's eyes met mine, and he pointed that long wand at me. "NO!" A woman screamed beside me, a terrible sound. I was frozen in shock, in disbelief. It could not be. Harry couldn't be dead, he had promised me. People were crying, crying out in shock, tears on their faces as Voldemort continued to laugh. I knew I had seen this, and now it was coming true, it was all true…_

"STOP! She's seeing something, stop it at once!" Someone was yelling, the voices in the basement yelling too, and some of the pain vanished, but the vision did not. A high, scared voice was screaming 'no', over and over, sounding horrified, devastated; betrayed-

"_You…" Voldemort hissed softly, his red eyes gleaming with satisfaction as they met mine. "Perhaps you would like to join your brother, Albus? No, no, I think not. You can serve me…" A huge swell of anger filled me up, burned with the pulse in my head._

"_I'd rather die," I heard myself say. Suddenly, a boy I didn't know charged out of the crowd, wand raised at Voldemort-"No!" I cried out, moving to follow him, hold him back, but someone caught my arm; there was a bang, and a flash of red light that made me flinch. The boy was disarmed, but I knew him, he was going to get hurt…in a quick movement, he suddenly produced a giant sword and brought it down over something I didn't recognize, a huge snake. Voldemort screamed in a terrible fury, the sound pushing in on my eardrums. I was pulling my arms free as chaos erupted around me, and as I looked for Harry's body-- _

With a shriek, I sat straight up, scrambling to my feet, slipping on the remains of the carpet as a group of people who had been surrounding me skittered back wands raised. I glanced around, chest heaving, shaking again, but I was back, tears streaming down my face at what I had just seen. It couldn't be true, I wouldn't allow it…

"What did you see, something you didn't like? Come now, don't' be afraid, you can tell me, something happened, you must tell. You said you'd rather die, is that what you want?" Bellatrix raised her wand again, pointing it directly at my forehead, but I remained mute, mind spinning. She laughed a crazy laugh. "Perhaps more pain to loosen your tongue?" Before I could try to dodge again, the spell hit me. I was screaming again, and someone screeched with me; jets of light passed over my eyes as people roared, making magic come flashing through my mind, replacing the pain of Bellatrix's spell as it vanished. It had barely stopped before someone snatched me up—

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix was pressing a dagger to my throat, and as my vision cleared, I saw people scattered everywhere, some with wands, some with out, but I could see Harry, Ron and Hermione standing uncertainly, armed. I shook my head the tiniest bit at them. They could easily Disapparate- "Drop your wands," She whispered, tightening her hold. No one moved, almost as if they were waiting… "I said, drop them!" she shrieked, and I felt the knife start to cut my throat—

"Alright!" Harry shouted, and dropped a wand, Hermione and Ron following suit. A pale boy picked up their wands to add to his collection, and as he did so, I heard a strange grating noise above me, but Bellatrix ignored it, starting to smile as I stiffened in her grip. As the chandelier creaked louder, everyone looked upward, and then Bellatrix shoved me away and dived backwards with a scream.

In a blast of crystal and chains, the chandelier fell right on top of me, and I shrieked as the crystal flew everywhere, the weight forcing me down, making magic come out, almost as if to retaliate, and there was a loud bang. I had fallen on my side, and as the magic stopped, the chandelier landed on my arm with a crash. I then heard several things at once, feet running around the room, a pair stopping at the chandelier, and then crystal was falling everywhere, sliding off of me, and the chains went next. My eyes fluttered as someone picked me up, and I quickly tried to stand on my own. Hermione was holding me up as best she could. She was trembling slightly, but she seemed to be trembling more so; the force of my shaking was shaking her too.

I could feel warm blood running down my arm, but ignored it, as Hermione started talking. "Hold on, Ariana, hold on…Harry!" She called, and he tossed her two wands from the mass of them in his hand. Suddenly, we were Apparating, gone from the manor.


	6. Chapter 6

~Six

_Ariana_

I slumped, smelling salty air, as Hermione called something I couldn't hear, coming down to the ground next to me, and calling my name. Light suddenly fell upon us, and I heard a gasp, then I was in someone's arms, we were moving, there was loud sound everywhere…

"Ariana, can you hear me?" I heard Hermione ask, and I forced my fluttering eyelids open. Hermione looked incredibly pale, there was a scratch on her cheek, but other than that, she looked alright. I could hear shouts outside, but I couldn't decipher them.

"We got out," I breathed hoarsely, gasping in pain as someone cast a spell, magic leaving to make room, and a French voice swearing in surprise. There was a flurry of speech between Hermione and the woman, and then she bent over me again.

"Yes, everyone is fine, how are you feeling?" Hermione looked incredibly pale and scared.

"I'm not sure," I replied, my voice rasping. It felt swollen and raw from screaming so much. Hermione's hands shot out to stop me as I made my shaking limbs move, sitting up, my head spinning. "Ariana, you were hurt, please lay back down!" Hermione said anxiously, as the other woman in the room retreated. I let her push me down to a sitting position, still trembling. My whole body felt like I had beaten and pummeled, it was aching with soreness. I closed my eyes tiredly and Hermione started to weep quietly, so I weakly snatched her hand.

"Hermione, I'm alright, please," I whispered, but she shook her head fiercely, wiping at her eyes.

"You were so brave, and strong, and-" she hiccupped and buried her face in her hands.

After a moment, I forced back the covers and staggered to my feet, leaning on the bed post. My whole body felt weak and shaky, like I had just run for miles and miles. There was dried blood cracking on the sides of my face, my arm, and my neck as I faced Hermione, who had come around to support me, her eyes still puffy. She said nothing, but helped me outside after I insisted; where there was a crowd of people surrounding a small mound of earth.

"I'm alright," I said quietly, and Hermione slowly let go, expecting me to crumple again. I wanted to, but I stayed upright as everyone who had known the elf who had died said a few words. As the people passed us, I got strange looks. Obviously, someone had told them in the basement of that manor who I was, because they were looking straight into my eyes and then whispering. Hermione gently poked me, and I smiled weakly at her, and turned to go, my feet feeling unsteady beneath me. Hermione had to catch my arm four times on the way back to the cottage, and I denied Ron's request if I needed any help after I stumbled, wobbling dangerously.

Hermione almost pushed me onto a sofa in the little living room, and then sat next to me, as if to make sure I didn't get up again. I didn't want to; my head was pounding again, almost daring me to tell them of what I had seen in that manor. The memory made me want to cry. A man with a deeply scarred face talked to Harry as he appeared in the doorway, his face pale but set. His face was no longer under the stinging hex from the last time I had seen it. He went into the kitchen as Hermione stood to talk with Ron. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, shattered of all energy. The attacks had been deeply intense, and I'm sure the pain was double that of the actual spell because of them.

"Harry, what the hell is going on?" a male voice asked, "You turn up here with a dead house elf and a half conscious goblin, that girl with you looks like she's been tortured to the brink of death, and Ron's just refused to tell me anything—" I stopped listening and slowly stood up, ignoring the look I got from Hermione, and came over.

"You alright?" Ron asked quietly as I joined them. I nodded softly, but he looked unconvinced as Harry came over and as I grasped the wall for support.

"How are you?" he asked me, some of the color back in his face, and he looked worried. "You were amazing—you didn't give anything away when she was hurting you like that--" He stopped awkwardly but I gave him a weak smile, still picturing the vision I had seen in my head. It had to be a lie, I had to be wrong. If it wasn't I was determined to change the future, no matter what it took.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I went back upstairs, following the man with many scars who I realized had to be a relative of Ron-their similarities were striking. Hermione made me sit once more, this time in the chair in the upstairs room, and I barely listened to the conversation between Harry, Ron, Hermione and the Goblin, nor the one with them and Ollivander. Finally, we strode out into the garden, my feet much more sure now, and Harry told us that Voldemort had the Elder Wand. For a moment, no one spoke.

"Ariana…I heard Bellatrix say something about you having a vision at the manor…and we heard you saying things. You said you would rather die." Hermione trailed off pathetically as I lurched, I couldn't help it. The picture's I had seen I realized had to come true. If it was from my point of view again, and if I had known about Harry dying before I saw his body…

"I did have a vision," I whispered, staring out at the sea, the borrowed dressing gown I was wearing whipping around my ankles in the salty air. "But…I can't tell you what it was. I'm sorry." I bit my lip, feeling my fingers start to tremble. If I told them now…

"Why?" Harry asked immediately, "You were screaming 'no' at the manor, what was it, what could you have possibly seen to react that way?" he pressed. He reminded me of the woman, Bellatrix, and I felt the blood run from my face. Had I really spoken out loud? I could remember doing that for any vision I had ever had. That didn't sound like a vision at all. It sounded like the beginnings of a prophecy, which were more likely to come true…and Bellatrix and Hermione had said that I had spoken out loud, said that I would rather die. How much did I actually narrate?

"I can't," I heard myself say, even though tears were starting to boil over my eyelids, and I was suddenly shaking violently. I quickly closed my eyes as my grief for things to come took over, letting the magic lose. It happened so fast, I almost didn't feel it, until I heard screams in my head and realized they were mine again. Voices shouted, vibrations passed through the ground, but I was no longer there as my insides froze again.

_Goblins were shouting as a dragon roared, its eyes milky and blind, stretching its wings and taking off in a dark stone tunnel, four people holding on for dear life as the dragon rose, rocks and dust falling away. It breathed a huge plume of fire, scattering goblins everywhere, strange clanking noises being drowned out by the dragons roars. The wizards on its back were helping to blast away rocks from a small hole, some of the spells so powerful, they shook the cavern they were in as they found their mark…Then they were blasting into a white marble hall, wizards and goblins diving for cover behind elegant granite counters. The dragon seemed to sniff, then turn to mangle steel doors apart, staggering into a wide street lined with different shops and stores. Then, it raised its wings and launched into the sky. The ground rapidly fell away as the dragon climbed higher and higher-_

"_Ariana!"_ Someone bellowed in fear, and with one final bang, the magic stopped, as did the incredible pains that had been wracking my body. I could smell grass, and my whole body hurt. That attack had been so intense, so…strong. It scared me. Why were the attacks changing, getting stronger? I rested briefly, then, realizing I was on my side, I groaned in pain as I lifted my head, and then gasped in shock.

A huge circle of white hot fire surrounded me, people shouting on the other side, trying to cast water to remove it, but the water turned to steam, vaporizing as soon as it touched the flames. My whole body shaking from the vision, I slowly staggered to my feet, and drew my wand. I was the only one who had gotten their original wand back from the manor. "_D-defodio!"_ I cried, using the spell I had seen in the vision and the fire shook, but didn't break. _It's got to be dragon fire, the kind that can burn forever…what stops it, what stops it?_ My brain reeled frantically as my body was wracked with shaking again, and an idea snapped into my head. My fits were of magic. If I could channel the now more intense magic to make my spell stronger, considering the magic was so forceful…

"_Aguamenti!" _I whispered as I couldn't hold onto the magic any longer, instead, I shoved it through my hand, into the wand—A huge torrent of water came blasting out the tip, and the sizzle it made when it hit the fire made the ground tremble. All the fire was extinguished, leaving a brown circle in the grass. I swayed and dropped my wand as people came running over, shouting questions, holding me up as my knees started to bend under the pressure.

"What did they _do_ to her?!" asked Bill, looking sickened as Hermione put an arm around my shoulders cautiously.

"Ariana, what did you see this time?" Ron asked, looking awed. "Because you started shooting fire, what was it?"

"Dragon, it had to be." Hermione said on my left, a firm hand under my elbow, supporting me.

"If-if we go to G-gringotts, we won't need G-griphook's help." I said faintly, staring across the land, exhausted. All the people I didn't know looked at us strangely. Or maybe they were just afraid of the shrieking girl who had spouted fire.

"I thought they were going on a secret mission from Dumbledore, not robbing banks!" one whispered furiously to a blond girl.

"Why won't we need him?" Harry asked patiently, but he looked scared to be so close to me. I honestly didn't blame him. If I had been shooting fire without a wand, how more dangerous could I become? And why was the fit worse this time? Were they going to get worse, was I going to have more prophecies? I shook my head weakly to clear it.

"We were all on a d-dragon." I said as clearly as possible, but it came out as a whisper.

"Sorry?" Ron asked, looking appalled. "Did you just say we leave by dragon?!"

"Yes." I said quietly, as Harry took my other elbow, and they led me gingerly back up to the cottage. "And we did it, you had the t-thing in your hand, you k-know what I mean." I said, starting to understand that the people around us weren't supposed to know. Harry's grip slackened for a second in surprise, before Hermione steered me to the couch.

"Harry, I don't know what's wrong with her, but do you honestly think she should be indoors? I think she'd be better off at St. Mungo's." Bill asked anxiously, an arm around Fleur. He glanced at me, then looked away.

"We're leaving anyway." Harry insisted, and so I stood up (making most everyone in the room back away) and gently took off the dressing gown and folded it neatly, then placed it on the coffee table. Harry, Ron and Hermione split up, scrambling around the house to get ready, leaving me alone in the room with Fleur, Bill, and the rest of the people from the manor house.

"I'm sorry f-for what I've done here, and if I f-frightened any of you." I said softly yet clearly to the group of people fidgeting nervously in my presence. I felt a huge pang of sadness. These people were _afraid_ of me now; they thought I was a freak. Harry, Ron and Hermione came shooting down the stairs, saving them from answering, and me from my thoughts. Ron was dressed ridiculously, in a beard and thick clothing, with a huge hat, while Hermione was wearing a set of black, imposing robes that billowed around her as they came to a stop. Hermione had a glass in her hand, and it looked like Polyjuice Potion.

"Bill, Fleur, everyone…thanks." Harry said lamely, and then steered me gently out the door, and into the garden, Hermione and Ron following. Hermione had Bellatrix's wand in her hand, and I realized what they were doing.

"Brilliant." I said quietly as Hermione gulped down the potion, looking revolted as she quickly changed into the imposing Bellatrix Lestrange, making me flinch. But miraculously, the magic didn't react, but it stirred, like a restless animal. It was changing rapidly, doing different things than I was used to. Could I control it?

"Now, Ariana, you and I will be under the cloak. If you think you are going to have an attack, you have to tell us." Harry said seriously, throwing the cloak over me, then ducking underneath, having to duck to stay under. All I wanted to do was sleep for the next 7 days, but I knew that wasn't an option. We walked past the boundaries of the Shell Cottage before Harry took my hand and Disapparated. After the second of darkness, we arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, a bar I had only seen when I was very little, when I was getting my first wand and supplies for school. Hermione and Ron were already there, and Harry and I jogged for a few seconds to keep up with them, wands drawn.

As we entered Diagon Alley, I got a shock. Harry's face was glaring down at us, and the happy, bustling street I had remembered was gone, and blearily empty. I felt the magic come, but I shoved it away, and to my surprise, it went back to my core and stayed there, strengthening, like I was going to use it in a spell again. Snapping out of it, I drew up short as a voice called out to us. "Why, Madam Lestrange!" The voice called, and I recognized it as it chuckled. Whoever it was, they had been in the manor that night. I racked my mind frantically, I hadn't been able to focus that well, but I had sworn that I had heard a names…without warning, I dragged Harry forward so I could whisper to Hermione, "That's Travers, he's a D-death Eater!" as quietly as I was capable. Hermione gave no indication that she had heard but a graceful flick of her head.

As Travers accompanied us to Gringotts, I couldn't help but feel a pang of panic. How were we going to get rid of him?


	7. Chapter 7

~Seven

_Harry_

Ariana looked pale and drawn as we climbed the steps, and I wondered if she was going to explode again, even though she wasn't trembling. I felt a pang of sympathy as I briefly recalled her screams from the Shell Cottage vision, and from the Malfoy Manor. I couldn't believe she was still standing, actually. She had always been frail, and I couldn't understand how she was alive, with the force of the magic inside her. It was ironic, she was such a gentle person, but the magic was so powerful. "_Confundo," _she breathed, taking me back to my senses as she charmed each guard as we climbed the steps to Gringotts.

We all barely fit into the cart, even with Travers hiding. After the tirade of water that took Hermione and Ron from their disguises, Ariana had a quiet fit, and somehow, she kept quiet, even though I could tell from her face that it had hurt, and badly. As we stepped into the vault, the door sealed behind us, plunging the room into darkness. We all lit our wands, Ron with the blackthorn wand, Hermione with Bellatrix's, Ariana with her own, and I had Draco's wand. "Ok, it's a cup, small and gold, with a badger on it…ouch!" I had nudged a coin with my foot and it burned me, and suddenly there were twenty.

"Everything is charmed, the more things you touch, the more will appear. And judging from you face, Harry, it burns you." Hermione said after casting a complicated little charm over the piles of gold around her.

"Right," said Ron, who turned carefully on the spot, raising his wand and looking around the chamber. Hermione, Ariana and I followed suit, looking around, and once and a while, someone would bump something. Ron hit a goblet with his foot, and it rolled onto Ariana's, making her shriek, and then the intense blue magic shot from her foot and into the pile of treasure, making there was a great cracking sound. Ariana was shivering, but was still upright, the replicated treasure was gone, and Hermione and Ron were looking slightly shell-shocked, but I'm sure I looked the same. Ariana's shriek was still echoing around the vault with an eerie ringing noise.

"What did you do, where did the fakes go?" Ron asked, spinning on the spot, carefully this time, looking around the chamber. Hermione waved her wand again, and she was suddenly grinning, and hugged Ariana from behind, making her shy away instinctively.

"The magic from Ariana was stronger than the charms in the vault, she broke them, see?" Hermione picked up some coins and threw them into the air.

"Brilliant!" I said, clapping her on the back and then standing on the treasure, looking for the cup. I could hear Clankers coming, but ignored it, scanning the room desperately.

"Is that it, there?" Ariana asked faintly after a few minutes, her wand light illuminating a tiny cup almost up by the ceiling. As the rest of us turned and illuminated it further, the badger became visible.

"Yes, that's got to be it…and we can't Summon it…sorry, Ron. _Levicorpus!"_ Hermione said, and Ron was suddenly suspended by his ankle. Hermione floated him up to the cup, and reaching with one of his long arms, Ron snatched it. "_Liberacorpus!" _Hermione said, and Ron fell with a thud. "Sorry, Ron!" Hermione said as Ron stood up, muttering a swear word, cup in hand. The clanks were getting louder and louder, we were out of time…The door disappeared, and I shoved the cup into my pocket as a advancing mob of goblin's came steadily closer. Quickly, we stepped out, and started Stunning. The only way out was back through. Back through…I glanced over at the dragon, meekly sitting off to the side, the Clankers keeping it controlled, my mind whirling. The idea popped into my head, and I pointed my wand at the cuffs binding the dragon to the floor.

"_Relashio!" _The cuffs came off with huge bangs. "This way!" I shouted, and sprinted towards the dragon, still Stunning goblins. The others skidded to a halt by the dragon and climbed up: the dragon had not yet realized that it was free, and it didn't seem to feel me climbing up. I extended an arm and Ariana climbed up, then Ron, then Hermione. Seconds later, the dragon became aware that it was untethered. With a roar, it flew upward, making us duck flat to its back, leaning on each other as it dived for the opening of the passage.

"We'll never get out, it's too big!" Hermione shouted behind me as the dragon belched more flame, crushing the tunnel walls, making it wider. The tunnel was instantly filled with dust, and the dragons deafening roars drowned out the goblins and their clanking.

"Yes we do!" Ariana shouted behind me, scrunched up close. I felt her shaking, and her thin arm snaked around mine and pointed shakily up the tunnel, to the small opening that was rapidly approaching. Her trembling reached a pitch as she cried, "_Defodio!!"_ There was a thunderous bang from the ceiling, and large chunks fell away, revealing a hole two times the size of the dragon itself. We past the lake, and approached the doors to the marble hallway, exactly as Ariana had predicted…"_Defodio!"_ she cried again, and the passageway was instantly cleared, we were in the hall…

The dragon burst through the doors and into Diagon Alley, then took off with a roar, into the sky. As London fell out below us, I could feel Ariana shaking; hear Ron swearing at the top of his voice, and Hermione sobbing. After five minutes, and when it became apparent that the dragon still didn't know we were there, I relaxed, enjoying the cool breeze. "What do you reckon it's looking for?" Ron yelled as we flew farther and farther north, into the countryside.

"No idea," I bellowed back, and Ariana shivered harder, from the cold or the magic, I couldn't tell. But it was obvious that she was getting control over the magic, her spells were incredibly powerful. But I couldn't count on her keeping it controlled a thousand feet off the ground.

After a long stretch of time, Ron spoke again. "Is it my imagination, or are we losing height?" I looked over the dragon and saw we were quite close to the surface of a small lake.

"I say we jump when it gets low enough, straight into the water before it realizes we are here!" I called back to the others, and they agreed, Ariana a little faintly, and watched the water get closer and closer…"NOW!" I slithered off the side of the dragon and plummeted feet first toward the surface of the lake; the drop was greater than I had estimated and I hit the water hard, plunging like a stone into a freezing, reed-filled world. I saw a huge flash of powerful blue light and knew that Ariana must have lost her magic in the water. I kicked up and surfaced, panting. There were huge ripples on the surface where the others had jumped. The dragon had taken no notice, and was flying steadily towards the opposite bank. Ariana, Ron and Hermione surfaced, spluttering, and we swam towards the bank. Finally, after fighting through mud and reeds, we collapsed on the shores of the lake; Hermione coughing and shuddering, Ariana trembling and gasping, flat on her back. I would have loved to join her, but I hauled myself to my feet and started casting the protective spells around us. When I had finished, I turned back to the group. Ron and Hermione were putting dittany on any of their injuries. Ariana looked terribly pale and withdrawn, but had stopped shaking. She was perched on a rock, some dittany on her arm, eyes closed.

"Harry, you have the cup?" Hermione asked, pulling the sword out of the tiny bag. I reached in my pocket and withdrew it, passing it to her. Ariana stood up from the rock she had been sitting on, and Hermione placed it there, then handed her the sword.

"Wait, come off it, I'm not strong enough to do that!" She said nervously, backing up.

"If you're strong enough to cast a Blasting Spell that powerful, you can cleave a cup in half." Hermione said impatiently, and she took the sword. Ariana looked at the cup a moment, her eyes (so like Dumbledore's) unexpectedly blazing. Then she brought the sword up and with a loud scream and a screech of metal hitting metal, the sword went straight through the cup, leaving two black twisted pieces on the rock. Then, as if she had turned the sword on me, my head burst open.

He was furious, furious that the cup was stolen. The diary was already destroyed…could the boy know of the other Horcruxes? He had to make sure, had to check…the one at Hogwarts would be safest of all, but he must alert Severus just in case…Nagini never left his side…but the ring and the locket? No, surely no one would ever find them…but he had to be positive…

My eyelids flew open, wrenching myself back to the present. Everyone was leaning over me, I was lying on the bank of the lake. I immediately struggled to my feet. "He knows, and he's going to check where the others are, and the last one is at Hogwarts. I knew it. _I knew it._" I said quickly, seeing their faces.

"Did you see where?" Ron asked, scrambling to his feet too, then Hermione. I shook my head, and they were immediately disappointed.

"We need to get going. If he decides to go to Hogwarts first, our plan is ruined." I said, and dug out the Invisibility Cloak while Ron scooped up the broken Horcrux. Ariana shoved the sword into the bag.

"Wait, where are we going? We need a _plan_; we can't just show up at Hogwarts!" Hermione said frantically, getting up too. "We can't just walk through the woods either, there will be Death Eaters everywhere…"

"We'll go to Hogsmade," I said, "and try to work something out once we see what the protection around the school's like. And we should all get under the Cloak, just in case."

"There is no way we can all fit," Ron said, looking doubtful, but came over just the same. After an uncomfortable moment, we were all under the cloak, and I pulled it down as far as I could get it. Then, we all Apparated together. After a moment of crushing darkness, my feet touched road. Hogsmade was heartbreakingly familiar, even in the dark. As I slowly relaxed my grip on Ariana and Ron's arm, the air was rent by a scream that sounded like Voldemort, an angry Voldemort. Ariana gasped and lurched at the sudden breaking of the silence. Almost instantly, the door to the Three Broomsticks was thrown open, and Death Eaters were pouring into the street. We sidled quickly down a side street; Death Eater's missing us by inches. "We know you're here, Potter, and there's no getting away! We'll find you!" A Death Eater shouted, and they broke into an argument about using Dementors. As they agreed, dread seeped through me. Conjuring a Patronus would give us away immediately. The unnatural cold began to steal over the street. Disapparating impossible, we stole silently down the streets as all the lights went out, Dementors sweeping around the corner. Ariana raised her wand with a shaking hand, but Hermione grabbed her wrist.

"You'll blow up the street!" She whispered as I raised my wand. I wouldn't let Ariana, Hermione and Ron be kissed, never.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _I whispered, and that thought was happy enough, the silver stag burst from my wand and charged. The Death Eaters yelled in triumph as the Dementors immediately retreated. I couldn't think of what to do, the street was a dead end. Suddenly, there was a grinding of bolts, and a door opened on the left hand side of the street.

"Potter, in here, quick!" said a rough voice, and I came to, barreling through the door, taking everyone with me. "Upstairs, keep the cloak on, keep quiet!" muttered a tall figure, passing us on his way into the street and slamming the door behind him. Judging by one lit candle, we were in the Hog's Head Inn. Quickly, we dashed around the bar and up the single, rickety staircase into a small sitting room. The carpet was threadbare, and a single fireplace was roaring with fire. Ariana, Ron and Hermione crept to the grimy window and looked down, watching the Hog's Head barman shouting at the Death Eaters. I ignored them, staring at a portrait above the fireplace. It was a large oil paining of a blonde girl who gazed out at me with a kind of gentle sweetness. She looked incredibly familiar…I looked over at Ariana, and that's when it hit me. The picture was of her, much younger, but their similarities were unmistakable.


	8. Chapter 8

~Eight

_Ariana_

The man shouting at the Death Eaters seemed familiar, but I couldn't place him, even when he pulled off fooling the Death Eaters into thinking his goat Patronus was Harry's. I had never seen a goat Patronus before, and yet, I felt incredibly connected to him. As the man came back up into the room, Harry looked like something was dawning upon him, and he glanced at me quickly. I turned to shut the curtains, feeling slightly queasy. Harry's gaze was almost full of…disbelief. "You bloody fools," the man said gruffly, "What were you thinking, coming here?" Harry didn't answer, but looked over at him from a tiny mirror on the mantel and grinned. I turned back around and closed the curtains securely, trying to get a grip on myself.

"You're Aberforth! It's your eye I saw in the mirror!" He said, and I whirled around. He wore glasses, but underneath them, his eyes were the same piercing brilliant blue as mine. I wanted to call out to him, but my voice seemed to be gone. It was Aberforth, a relative, my only living relative-

"Aberforth, we came, well, because, she was cursed, she didn't die, it was your Mum, and she woke up and we found her and—" Hermione slapped Ron's arm to get him to stop talking and I was surprised to see that Aberforth was sporting long hair and a beard like Albus had. I kept forgetting that I belonged to a different generation, everyone I had known was old or dead. Aberforth seemed to be a long way's away, like at the end of a tunnel. Someone was alive from my time and knew who I was-

"What the bloody hell are you taking about, boy?" He growled, looking at us all, but his gaze froze at it fell across me.

"Aberforth?" I managed to gasp, moving into the light, could it really be him? One person in this world that had been alive when I was? Aberforth had turned as pale as his beard, but his blue eyes that made me want to cry confirmed his identity.

"_Identido."_ Hermione said calmly, pointing her wand at me. The usual release of magic came, making me wince, but I glowed gold for a moment, letting Aberforth know that I was real.

"Oh Merlin," I gasped, and darted over and hugged Aberforth, tears streaking down my face, my back shaking. After a second, he returned the hug with equal force, his back shaking to match mine. I muffled my crying in his chest as he held me tight, his head on my shoulder. I could feel his glasses and moisture from his tears in my hair. I could remember every moment, every funny memory of him in one second, making my affection and tears come faster.

"_H-how?"_ He stammered finally, tears falling into his beard as he held me at arm's length, like he used to when he would come home from school on holidays, just to see me. He called it 'reanalyzing', and it used to make me laugh so hard…

"You were at school. I had an attack, I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. Mum got so mad, Albus was getting wood for the fire…she cursed me, she-she said I would be dead until six months after Albus's death…he tried to stop her, hearing her screaming, but the curse hit me, and he probably thought I was dead." I swallowed painfully and wiped my face, and for the first time, I noticed my portrait over the fireplace, and my affection for Aberforth deepened. I had missed him _so_ much!

"Impossible…" Aberforth gasped, sitting heavily into an unsteady chair. "But the attacks, you still get them…" His face twisted as I grimaced when he changed the topic.

"Not so much, not really. When a spell is put on me, some comes out, but…I've learned to somewhat control the random ones. It's just visions and spells that do it now."

"You use magic?" he asked sharply. I nodded. He knew that I used to refuse to magic; it scared me when I was little.

"I suppose you all have no idea what I'm talking about," Aberforth snapped, suddenly rising, glaring at Harry, Hermione and Ron, who were whispering in a group. They straightened, looking incredibly guilty, and I could almost feel Aberforth getting angry. Apprehension rose in me, Aberforth tended to get out of control-

"Attacked when she was barely eleven, set upon, by three Muggle boys. Saw her doing magic, and when she couldn't do it again, they went at her!" he snarled, and Ron looked rather sick as I paled. Aberforth tended to rant when he was angry, and this, this was private—

"It destroyed her, what they did: she was never right again. Ariana wouldn't use magic, it scared her, but she couldn't get rid of it, it was inside her, it turned inward and slowly started to make her have the visions. Mum thought she was crazy, her own Mother!" He spat.

"Aberforth—" I started weakly, but he cut across me, not even having heard me. I was standing stock still, embarrassed and saddened by Aberforth's telling of events. I had shied around the truth on purpose, it was not something even I wanted to remember.

"It would explode out of her when she couldn't control it, and at times she was strange and dangerous. Mostly she was sweet, scared, harmless, and helpless! My mother thought she was crazy, crazy, but my father, no, my father had it right. He went after the bastards that did it, attacked them he did. They locked him up in Azkaban for it; they locked him up for—" 

"Aberforth, please—" I interjected faintly, but he didn't hear me again, instead, he paced back and forth in front of the fire, looking terribly angry.

"Mum wouldn't let her go to St. Mungo's, they'd lock her up for good, unbalanced as she was, with magic exploding out of her at moments when she couldn't control it any longer. And it caused her so, _so _much pain! I can still hear her screaming. My mother, oh my mother, she would only yell at her, saying it was her fault, all her fault!" he spat into the fire.

"_Aberforth!"_ I gasped in shock at his words, not realizing I had been trembling so much. He blinked, realizing everything he had said, and started to flush, the anger vanishing instantly. Harry looked sick, Ron was almost as pale as Aberforth, and Hermione's face was awash with tears.

"It's all _right_ Aberforth. I've been traveling with them ever since I was freed. They knew from the beginning, just not with…that much…detail." I whispered, sitting in the chair he had vacated, forcing the magic under control. Horrible memories that matched what he had said were swirling just underneath the surface. The worst one was when I could hear the snap of my original wand, then the sharp pain in my chest that made my breath hitch and the magic come in…

"Ariana…I'm sorry, you know I didn't mean it…they just looked so, so…" Aberforth knelt in front of me, taking my delicate and cold hand in his knotted warm one. It looked sickly in his grasp, and I wondered if my whole body looked that way.

"It's all right, Aberforth." I repeated softly, looking at our clasped hands, mine trembling, his sure and steady. After a moment to steel myself, I spoke. "That's not the only reason we're here. We need to get into the castle, Aberforth." I said calmly enough. He looked at me, but then nodded slowly.

He got up and walked over to my portrait, starting to smile. "You know what to do," He told the miniature me, and a smile broke out over her face. She turned and walked away in the portrait. I avoided the gazes of Ron, Hermione and Harry and focused on the picture. She vanished into the darkness, but then returned as a white dot, coming closer and closer. There was someone with her this time, however. Someone tall and dark haired, walking with a limp. As they got closer yet, I seemed to vanish, and then, the portrait swung open to reveal a passageway behind it. A man was already climbing off the mantel, roaring in delight and hugging Harry, Ron and Hermione. Aberforth rested a hand on my shoulder, and I leaned against him, happiness welling up inside of me. I could still remember the time, when I had been fourteen, he had been sixteen, away at school, and the eighteen year old Albus was home with me that day, the day—

Harry, Ron, Hermione and the stranger where crawling up into the portrait as Aberforth came around and bowed his knees a little to look into my face. "Please, _please_ be careful. I have to stay here and let more people through, into the castle, but, Ariana, please be safe. I want to see you again." I hugged him tightly.

"When this is over, when it's all over, Aberforth, I'll come back. I promise." I whispered, and then climbed into the passageway behind my own portrait and set off after them, lighting my wand. I felt a slight apprehension, I had no idea what Hogwarts looked like, or what lay ahead.

The boy turned out to be called Neville, and he greeted me cheerfully, taking in Hermione's quick explanation easily, and he told Harry, Ron and Hermione about things that had been happening inside the school that year. As they climbed through the door into the castle, Harry, Ron and Hermione were greeted as if they were heroes, which to these people, they probably were. I climbed out and quietly shut the door, keeping out of the way until Hermione called me, making people part like the Red Sea as I came over.

"This is Ariana, she's been helping us," Hermione said, and immediately, the crowd burst into applause, making the magic swell at the noise. They started firing off a volley of questions, but when Harry suddenly turned around, I knew what was happening. He had just seen something to do with Voldemort. After a moment, he turned back around, his expression unreadable. As more arguing between the crowd and Harry broke out, I felt the warning tingles of another vision coming down, and I vehemently squashed it as best as I could. I couldn't do this now. And if it was a prophecy…

Luna and Dean, the two people from the basement at the manor suddenly came through the door, looking overly cheerful. "Oh, hello, Ariana. Feeling alright?" She asked me, and it was like looking back into my spitting image, minus the fact that Luna had more color, a different face shape and her eyes were grey, not blue. Plus, she wasn't shaking all the time, and she probably wasn't crazy.

"I've felt better, and you?" I answered honestly and she chuckled.

"I'm sure, the thing with the fire seemed pretty intense, and last I heard, you guys did something with a dragon…?..., that must have tired you out." She said matter of factly, and several people glanced at me at the word 'fire', including Dean, who nodded awkwardly in my direction. More people came in as the crowd argued with Harry, wanting to do something, something to help with the fight against Voldemort. I could see his dilemma, this was a secret mission, from my brother, and the more people involved, the more would be killed. Suddenly, an idea dawned on me, and I went over and tugged on his sleeve.

"They can help us, they all can." I said quietly, and the crowd seemed to quiet down, as if they were trying to listen.

"What?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"We don't know where it is. We've got to find it fast. We don't have to tell them it's a Horcrux." I said, and Ron nodded.

"We don't even know what we are looking for, we need them." Hermione agreed. Harry frowned, thought about it, and then reassembled the crowd. I stiffened and held an arm out, almost to hold people back, to protect them as the magic pushed hard; the vision was starting to come. It scared me, usually the magic didn't have this much control over me. This particular vision was going to choose when and where, and it was frightening, the level of…aggression that was rapidly rising in the magic. I could tell this was not going to be a normal vision.

"I-I think-" I started faintly, starting to feel sick. This wasn't a normal vision. Hermione turned at my voice, which sounded strange even to me, looking confused, then she ducked around Ron and Harry, who just glanced over, then their faces changed; they understood. They started to turn around, cautiously stepping back in the process…

The vision hit, making me freeze, and pictures flashed across my eyes, which were open, yet trance like. A dark mass, flying around outside a broken window, a mob of statues and suits of armor racing down a castle hallway, the woman from my vision before, the one with Harry standing there next to Harry himself--"_THE DARK LORD APPROACHES,"_ I heard myself whisper robotically, my body trembling. But my voice was different, a harsh, clipped sound, that said each word as if it hurt, which they did. I had to gasp for a single breath after each phrase.

The flashing lights and bangs from many wizards dueling filled my head, and I was flying through corridors of the castle, normal wizards and young adults from the school fighting amongst the statues against dark, hooded figures- "_THE DARK LORD COMES FOR THE ONE MARKED AS HIS EQUAL, THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO DESTROY HIM, FOR NONE CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES-"_words tumbled from my mouth again, along with a new image, the one I had seen before, of the giant man carrying Harry's body from the woods, then it switched, Harry and Voldemort where inside a giant shield charm, people on either side, wands raised in surprise-"_AND THE TWO WILL MEET THIS VERY NIGHT-"_

Both Harry and Voldemort cast spells at each other, and time seemed to slow down as the jets of light got closer and closer to each other. They hit each other with a tremendous bang that rang and rang in my ears, making my head explode with pain- "_AND THEY SHALL DUEL IN SINGLE COMBAT-"_Two rows of bodies, one of dark clad figures and one of the normal wizards flashed into my head, with mourners crowded around bodies of loved ones, the echoes of the duel still ringing in my head-"_AND LIVES FROM BOTH SIDES WILL BE LOST IN THE BATTLE, LIVES NECCESARY TO SECURE THE OUTCOME-"_A dark shape leaping from a boat with red, evil eyes, the shape of it flying across a dark sky, a huge snake wound around it's shoulders. Then he sat in a depleted building, a man with greasy hair and a hooked nose at his feet. Voldemort was standing at the entrance to Hogwarts, wand pointed straight for me, Neville starting to dash down the steps-_ "THE- DARK- LORD- APPROACHES-"_

I staggered, the vision ending, and I heard the roar of the people in the room, firing questions as someone caught me, held me up as the dizzying feeling of the magic that should have been released strengthened, till it was a solid mass in my chest, which made me tremble from head to foot. I stood upright from the persons grasp, making people gasp and back up as if I was dangerous. Harry looked pale next to me, hands raised halfway, as if he was protecting himself from the harsh words that had not been my own. "You have to find it, and find it quickly." I said unsteadily, the magic thrumming in my veins, waiting to be released. If he didn't find the Horcrux before Voldemort arrived-

"Luna, take us to Ravenclaw Tower, now." Harry said, and after a moment with my eyes closed, I followed him over to the door out, the room deathly quiet. Harry threw the cloak over us, he being the tallest and biggest underneath, then pushed lightly on the door, and it melted away to reveal a corridor, which we quickly stepped into. "Are you alright?" He whispered in my ear as Luna set off determinedly. I nodded, but the movement was small. I was grateful to be out of the crowded Room of Requirement. I knew that the room with its loud noise had not helped the prophecy come as easily as it could have. Harry looked as pale as I was, so I must have really scared him.

After climbing the tight spiral staircase, Luna knocked on the door with the bird knocker, which echoed loudly in my ears. "Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?" asked the bird shaped knocker in a quiet, musical voice.

"Hmmm, what do you think Ariana?" She asked, and I started a little in surprise. Now didn't seem like the time to be thinking about rhetorical questions, especially when I was basically explosive.

"Well…I'd say that life is a circle…and circles have no beginning?" I ended feebly; it made my head pound harder, thinking about the answer.

"Well reasoned," The eagle knocker said, and the door opened.

"Yes, it was, wasn't it?" Luna said almost to herself, and walked inside, Harry and I following quickly to avoid the cloak slipping off. We quickly crossed the common room and Harry slipped out from under the cloak to examine the white marble statue in a niche. It was of Rowena Ravenclaw, a half quizzical smile on her face.

"_Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."_ Harry muttered, running a finger over tiny words carved into her circlet.

"Which makes you pretty skint, witless," said a cackling voice. Harry whirled around; slipped off the plinth the statue stood on, and landed on the floor, masking my gasp of surprise. Luna put a hand on my back, looking worried that I was going to explode as a Death Eater stepped into the light. Harry raised his wand, but the Death Eater touched their Dark Mark with a stubby finger, cackling.


	9. Chapter 9

~Nine

_Ariana_

As soon as it was pressed, Harry's face went blank. The witch raised her wand, and I felt the magic swell as I beat her to it. "_Stupefy!"_ I whispered, and the magic burst from my wand, and hit her dead in the chest with a thunderous _bang._ The room trembled, and as she hit the floor, glass in the bookcases shattered. The release of magic felt good, but there was a lot more to be liberated.

"That was impressive," Luna said mildly, stepping out from underneath the cloak, nodding to me as she examined the Death Eater. I heard the footsteps upstairs and held open the cloak as Harry and Luna streaked back over just in time. Kids cautiously crept forward, and one nudged her with his toe. Harry closed his eyes in a grimace as another Death Eater started to try to break down the door. After a second, he opened his eyes as a new voice joined the Death Eater, sounding frosty.

"May I ask what you are doing, Professor Carrow?" she asked coldly, and it stirred my memory, it sounded familiar somehow. I had seen her in a vision, I knew that was true. I closed my eyes, trying to find out, trying to chase the connection. Someone under the cloak brushed against me, and I snapped back to the present.

"It's us in charge now, and you'll back me up or you'll pay the price." The Death Eater spat in the woman's face, and I recognized her instantly. She had been in the original vision of Harry, dead in Hagrid's arms-

Harry pulled the Cloak off himself, raised his wand, and said, "You shouldn't have done that." He looked livid, and as the Death Eater spun, he shouted, "_Crucio!"_ The Death Eater was blasted off his feet, and fell in front of a bookcase, senseless. The bang made the magic pump out a huge burst that made me double over in the effort to keep it inside. Luna bent with me, saying something in a quiet whisper, but I couldn't hear her, not over the absolute roaring in my ears. Suddenly, Luna vanished, and the woman gasped, sitting on a chair.

"She's trembling," Luna informed Harry mildly, who swore and looked around the room. I had gotten so good at controlling them, and if I was trembling, that meant I was probably going to have a vision. In fact, I could feel the tingles of one trying to come. I knew that if I suppressed it for two long, it would explode out…

"Ariana? Where are you?" He asked frantically, looking around the room as I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming as the magic thundered in my head, making me tremble violently.

"The air is shaking over there, I'd reckon that's her," Luna said passively, backing up a tad. "I'd stay there, Professor McGonagall, she can be dangerous." She added to the woman, who stood uncertainly from her chair as Harry took a cautious step forward, both hands outstretched, trying to find the cloak. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the male Death Eater raise his head.

"_S-stupefy," _I choked, and the magic fired again with another thunderous bang, making everyone duck as it caught the Death Eater straight in the face. He blasted against the wall, embedding in it, and then slowly fell onto the floor.

"Ow," I couldn't stop myself from whimpering as I dropped my wand. My wand hand seemed to be burning, the magic hadn't completely released, and it was still thrumming in my hand. Harry's hand caught the cloak and whipped it off of me. "Sorry," I gasped, struggling to stand, and he caught my elbow and tugged me up, then snatched my wand and handed it back.

"Who…impossible," Professor McGonagall breathed as I lifted my head to find her staring at me. "That's not possible…" Her eyes zeroed in on mine.

"There's no time to explain, Professor, I'm acting on Dumbledore's orders, and I need to search the castle, Voldemort is coming. Can you get kids out through the Hog's Head? Voldemort won't care if he kills a few more people, even though it's me he wants." Harry finished as the Professor stared at me, then she blinked, nodding. We swept out of the tower, the three of us back under the Cloak, Professor McGonagall walking briskly down the hallway.

"Harry, someone is following us," I breathed after a few floors. He paused, and the sound of light footsteps following us became apparent. McGonagall heard them too; she raised her wand, ready to duel.

"Who's there?" She asked in a deadly calm.

"It is I," said a low voice, and then the man I had seen in a vision stepped out from behind a suit of armor. Harry stiffened; his face furious, slowly raising his wand as the man started to talk to McGonagall, but it ended in the start of a fight. Harry raised his wand, but I shoved both Luna and him out of the way as McGonagall brought down a torch with her wand, and it grew into a flaming lasso, almost filling the hallway. The man slashed with his wand and it turned into a great black snake, rearing, and it went to strike. McGonagall blasted it into smoke, which turned into daggers and went flying for the man. He ducked behind a suit of armor as they rained down.

Spells were flying everywhere, making me freeze on the spot. A small man came hurtling around a corner and fired a spell that forced Harry to shove us to the floor as it went right above us and hit a suit of armor, which came to life and began squeezing the man, who yelled and squirmed out of its grasp. He cast a spell, and it was suddenly flying at us. To stop it, Harry would have to come out from under the cloak to cast a spell, or it would crush us. I knew this man was evil, Harry couldn't be exposed. It seemed to happen in slow motion. I wrenched the cloak off of me, stood, and with the magic coming too fast to stop, I shrieked, "_Confringo!"_ The suit of armor exploded, shrapnel flying everywhere, but I had already crumpled as _again_ the magic thrummed in my hand, unwilling to leave, burning it, scalding it. I felt an invisible hand rest on my shaking back. My body begged for the usual release that came with casting spells.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I just knew he shouldn't see you, and it was coming, and the magic, the magic," I cried out as the magic, as if called, intensified, growing and expanding. I wasn't afraid so much for the pain, but for when the magic released. Where would I be, who would I hurt? Would it hurt me? The amount of magic was intense, more inside of me then I had felt in my life.

"It's alright, Snape didn't see, are you alright?" Harry asked frantically as I groaned again.

"It's getting stronger. Whenever I-I use magic, it doesn't l-lessen like it-it usually d-does. It'll p-pass." I tried to sound convincing, but that was hard to do through clenched teeth.

"It's tearing you apart," Harry said angrily as the other teachers came over. I stood shakily, even though the pain had not passed, and I had a feeling it never would.

"We need to get the others and get them to the Great Hall…so we can find the Horcrux." I breathed, and Harry frowned, but I ignored him and turned to the other teachers. "Have any of you…seen the diadem of Ravenclaw in the school? It's urgent." I forced out, and the teachers exchanged glances.

"It hasn't been seen in all living memory, not to mention at Hogwarts!" The tiny teacher piped up, looking worried. "And you look in a bad way-"

"Thanks, let's go," I said, turning on the spot and following McGonagall, who kept glancing at me occasionally with tears in her eyes.

Harry leaned against the wall to the Room of Requirement, and then threw me a dark look when I went to object to him helping me down the stairs. As the room came into view, he slipped down several steps in surprise. The room was full of wizards. I leaned against the wall and couldn't help but close my eyes as Harry talked quickly with the wizards, who cheered when Harry said we were fighting. A shout matched started between a family when I heard Harry curse.

"You need to go back to Aberforth, look at you!" I quickly opened my eyes and stopped leaning against the wall for support at his words. Harry looked incredibly anxious, and he put a hand on my arm, frowning when it trembled under his touch.

"I'm fine, and I'm not going anywhere. Don't you dare try to tell me different." I meant to snap back, but it came out rather flat. Harry raised an eyebrow, but then his face went blank, and I had to grab his shoulder to keep him from falling over. It only lasted a second, but his face told me everything.

"Come on, let's get to the Great Hall so we can find Ron and Hermione…come on," I pulled him off the stairs. I ran to the Great Hall, Harry following. Every step hurt, but I wasn't going to stop now, and I wasn't leaving Harry alone. He would not die today, not on my watch. That vision was _not_ going to come true, no matter how many times I had seen it.

"Where are Hermione and Ron?" Harry asked a tall balding man who had to be Ron's father after Voldemort's message played through the Hall, and the underage students had been evacuated.

"Haven't you found—" The man started, but Kingsley started talking, but I pulled Harry out of the Great Hall as Ron's father did a double take when he saw me.

"The Horcrux, Harry!" I hissed, and he blinked. He quickly looked around, and then spotted a ghost.

"Nick! NICK! I need to talk to you!" He bellowed before the ghost could go through a wall. It emerged, looking delighted. "Nick, you've got to help me, who's the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"

"The Gray Lady of course, but if it is ghostly services you require…?"

"It's got to be her, where is she?" I cut quickly across him as the magic swelled, pushing me to interrupt.

"Let's see…that would be her there," He pointed to a young woman with long hair across the corridor. She caught Harry staring, raised her eyebrows and floated through the wall. Harry pelted after her, shouting.

"Thank you," I panted, but the ghost put his arm on my shoulder, making me stop running away at its icy coldness.

"Your eyes…" He started, but I ran after Harry, the magic shooting through me, making me run faster, up the corridor and I skidded to a stop beside Harry. The ghost raised her eyebrows at my arrival but turned back to Harry. He was incredibly still, and he seemed to be thinking rapidly. Then he took my arm and ran back toward the Great Hall without a word.

"The…diadem. Do you know…where it is?" I breathed, leaning against the wall as the screams and bangs stared outside, making the magic swell. He nodded.

"But Ron and Hermione, we have to find them, they are somewhere in the castle! –hey!" He yelled as I ran out of the hall, and he easily caught up to me.

"We can look on the way, go!" I said as he caught my arm. He hesitated, but then ran ahead, and I followed, a little slower, but I kept up. We ran past rubble and broken glass in every hallway, and the screams and bangs around the castle weren't helping me stay in control.

"Ron, Hermione!" Harry shouted, skidding to a stop as the two came out from a doorway, carrying what looked like yellowy tubes. Ron had a broomstick under his arm.

"Do you know where the Horcrux is? Here, take a fang," Ron added, passing us both fangs.

"Basilisk venom. We can't all have the sword, and I don't want to make mistakes." Hermione said, and I just noticed the sword at her side.

"Room of Requirement, come on!" Harry shouted, and we ran after him as he pelted down a few more hallways, and then stopped outside the Room of Requirement.

"Wait a second! What about the house elves?" Ron said, and I looked at him in surprise.

"How is that relevant exactly?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Well, we can tell them to get out! We don't want any more Dobby's do we? And-" Hermione dropped her fang and ran at Ron, flung her arms around him, and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron dropped his fang and broomstick and actually lifted her off of her feet with his returned enthusiasm.


	10. Chapter 10

~Ten

_Ariana_

"Is this the moment?" Harry said weakly, but neither Hermione nor Ron moved.

"_There is a war going on!_" I yelled, and they broke apart, looking sheepish, flushing. "Come on!" I said, and pulled open the door. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed me inside. The room was full of junk, simply packed with it.

"Spread out, guys." Harry called, already running down a aisle of junk. Ron and Hermione took the other path, so I limped after Harry. Now that I was alone, I could fully nurse the pain. After a moment of leaning against a bookcase, I scanned old broomsticks, towers of books, a bicycle, an old pearl necklace… I ducked as I heard voices that did not belong to Ron, Hermione or Harry ahead. Slowly, weaving behind junk, I got closer, until I was right behind them.

"Hold it, Potter." I saw the backs of two huge boys, and then one skinny one with pale hair, and I recognized him from the Manor. Hate bubbled in my veins, making the magic almost tremble, waiting, almost begging to be let free. Distracted, my anger spiked, until I couldn't stay hidden any longer.

"You hold it, scum. _Expelliarmus!" _I shouted, and almost screamed in frustration, even though it hit one of the hulking men and blasted him off his feet. The extra power was coming in my spells, but without the assistance of the magic. It roared inside me, making me start to crumple. But I couldn't loose it now, I just attacked someone, I could be fired upon at any moment…my mind whirled, visions I had already seen flashing in front of my eyes-

"Who the hell is this? A new person joined your bandwagon, Potter? She can barely stand, the little shit. I'll finish her off for you, you can thank me later." A deep voice chuckled.

"WAIT!" another voice shouted, and the killing spell didn't come. "Don't you know who she is? She's the one that explodes if you use a spell on her, don't—" a smooth voice was saying in a panicked fashion, but the deep one snorted.

"Shut it, Malfoy, I don't answer to you anymore. You're just scared, see look, she's harmless." A wand tip poked my head, and I started to tremble violently.

"There she goes, I told you! She'll explode-POTTER!" The voice shouted, and I forced my head to rise. Harry had the diadem in his hand; he dived out of the way of a Stunning spell that the thicker boy sent at him, advancing. The pale boy raised his wand, keeping his distance, watching me strangely.

"Was it you, the one who made all the assassination attempts on Albus? Did _you_ bring the Death Eaters to the castle?" I hissed in pain, and sank to my knees, arms wrapped around my torso as all the magic moved there at once, intensifying. The boy lurched.

"It's true…you're Ariana Dumbledore." The boy retreated back a step, not answering my question but paling more, if that was possible.

"What are you waiting for? You're one of them, I'm with Harry. Kill me, then." I panted, then cried out again as I forced the tremors to stop. He retreated a step further. I took that as an opportunity, I snatched my wand off the floor, and just had a chance to cast a shield charm to deflect his Stunner, it bounced off and hit a pile of junk, spraying it everywhere.

"_Ariana!"_ I heard Harry shout as I blocked another spell, then another, each making loud, booming noises. My shield charm was incredibly thick, and it sounded like a gong when a spell hit it.

"Did you destroy it?" I shouted, and dived behind a stack of books and fired a Stinging Hex at Draco, who was forced to dive to avoid it as well.

"Not-yet—" I couldn't hear the rest of Harry's sentence as a Killing Spell went right over my head and made a cabinet explode, junk flying everywhere. I stood up and found myself beside the boy I had Disarmed. My spell had been so powerful, it had knocked him out, but he was waking up. I snatched his wand and ducked as Malfoy shot more spells my way, junk flying up as they missed, the one rebounding off of my shield charm making another thunderous bang.

"_Ron, look out!"_ I heard Hermione scream, and my head whipped toward the sound. With a grunt, the boy stood and tackled me. We both hit the floor after there was a loud _bang_, then silence. I shrieked in pain as I hit the floor, my extended elbow made a sick snapping noise and my wand and the boy's flew out of my hand as it cracked against the floor. Both rolled down the aisle, and I heard footsteps running as the boy, seeing no other option, seized my throat with both hands. With one arm gone, my free hand fluttered, looking for a weapon-

"_Ariana, where are you?"_ I heard Ron roar. I struggled to knee the boy in the groin, but he squeezed tighter, making me screech, but the lack of oxygen made it die quickly. As I began to run out of air, my eyes fluttered, starting to close without my permission. My hand closed around the basilisk fang in my pocket, and I grabbed it and stabbed the boy right in the chest. He froze as blood came out of him as I yanked out the fang, the blood spraying on me as he silently keeled over. My arm fell and the fang rolled out of my hand as I let my eyes close, and I just breathed, letting my brain get the oxygen it needed. Footsteps raced down the hallway, skidding to a stop around me. I heard a wand clattering to the ground, then someone shaking me.

"_Ariana!_ Please don't be dead, _please-_" I slowly opened my eyes to find myself face to face with Harry, Ron and Hermione hovering anxiously in the background.

"I'm…alright," I heard myself murmur faintly, and I struggled to get up. Harry pushed me back down.

"Where, where were you stabbed?" He asked frantically, looking me up and down. I then remembered that I was covered in blood.

"It's…his. I'm fine. Is the Horcrux…?" Harry let me try to get up this time, and before I could fall, grabbed me around the waist and easily lifted me to my feet, then held out my wand. I went to take it and cried out; my elbow throbbing with pain.

"I hit it on the floor, it probably shattered is all." I said shakily, taking my wand with my left hand. It felt odd. I looked at the diadem in Harry's hand. It was weeping a black, sticky substance, and it was black, with a large crack down the middle.

"Just the snake then?" I asked as Hermione came forward and pressed her wand to my elbow, muttering something. The magic did not release from her spell, but rather, intensified again, making me groan and grab my stomach with both arms.

"Oh Merlin," Hermione whimpered as Harry seized my arm to keep me from keeling over.

"Let's go, were leaving_, Hermione, don't you dare stop me."_ I said sharply as she went to interject. I walked unsteadily down the aisle and out the door, the others following in stunned silence.

"Don't you want to at least rest?" Harry broke the silence first as I started down the corridor. When I didn't stop or reply, he snatched the crook of my now healed elbow and turned me around. The tingles of the vision I was suppressing deepened.

"Ariana, you can't go on like this, it will kill you! Look at you!" Harry said.

"For the last time, that blood isn't mine! Now you listen to me, Harry James Potter," I said sharply but quietly, making my body straighten to its full height, starting to tremble again, "my brother died at the hands of the man we are trying to kill. I'm not going to sit by and leave you three alone." I finished fiercely, leaving out the part about making sure that he wasn't going to die today.

"I wasn't referring to the blood. You haven't stopped trembling since we left Aberforth's, you're as pale as a ghost, in pain all the time-how can you expect to fight like this?! I don't want you to get killed because you're forcing yourself to go on." Harry snapped, and then paled as he realized just what he had said. I was about to reply when flashes of light at the end of the hallway made me turn. Two red-head relatives of Ron were dueling two hooded and masked men, Death Eaters. Before I could stop it, the vision from Ravenclaw Tower finally won.

"_No—no—no!" someone was yelling, shaking one of the red-heads, who was on the ground. Rubble and chunks of the hallway littered the scene, and cold air from outside was rapidly coming in. The hall had been ripped apart. "No! Fred! No!" The boy shouted again, shaking the now clearly dead man on the floor-_

I felt the pain explode behind my eyelids, Hermione scream, and the duel stop as my screams joined hers. The magic hadn't released, but tripled inside me, then intensified, almost as if it wanted to make more room. The duel started again, raging over my head, and exhaustion crippling me, I could barely raise my head. The two other men had run down the hallway, the Death Eaters had followed, and I was behind the line of people.

"Get down!" My voice cracked from the force I pushed through it after such intense screams, and everyone hesitated.

Then, the section of the hallway down the way exploded just as I stood up and bawled, "_Protego!"_ My spell casting had remained at its high intensity, and it filled the whole space in front of me, trapping the Death Eaters in front of it as the rubble went flying at them. I felt the magic triple again, building up inside with deadly pressure, but I stayed standing, fueling the shield, even thought it made the magic keep intensifying. Only when the dust cleared did I let it go. A roaring swell of pain washed over me; I fell to the floor, and instantly blacked out.


	11. Chapter 11

~Eleven

_Ariana_

"Ariana Dumbledore? Are you joking?" An unfamiliar voice interjected, but it was ignored.

"That spell was one of the more powerful ones she has ever done, no wonder she blacked out!" I heard Hermione say almost tearfully. She sounded hysterical.

"She'll be alright though? She looks way to young for you guys to be lying about the Dumbledore thing, and if she was dead-"

"She said it was intensifying," Harry's voice cut across the voice I recognized from the vision. He sounded tense. I felt a glimmer of satisfaction as I realized that the boy named Fred must not have died from the explosion. "And if it didn't come out this time, it's only a matter of time before it all comes out at once-"

"When did she tell you that?" Hermione asked sharply, and I felt a trembling hand rest on my forehead, brushing hair off my forehead.

"After Aberforth's, so if it's been storing all this time, every spell, plus every vision she's had…that's a lot of magic to store." Harry said almost helplessly. The solid mass of magic in my chest seemed to agree with him.

"She's got to release it, if she was spurting fire at the cottage from just one vision she had backed up…!" Ron interjected. It was only then that I realized that I was moving. I was floating, and judging by the footsteps, the group plus the two men from the duel were floating me somewhere, probably back to Aberforth.

"Madam Pompfrey isn't here, she left with the kids, I forgot, damn it," Harry suddenly swore. Fighting the exhaustion, I dragged back my weary lids to find myself watching the ceiling of the castle go by. Hermione spluttered, and I was suddenly down again, she must have seen I wasn't unconscious anymore. I stumbled upright, and someone caught me as I fell backwards from the effort, then set me steady again, but didn't let go.

"Ariana, Merlin's bloody beard, what did you do that for?!" Ron asked weakly from above me, hands under my forearms, keeping me balanced.

"I saw the explosion before it happened, if you two hadn't moved down the hallway, the blast would have killed you, Fred." I said. Fred paled, and everyone stared at me. They knew that I had never known Fred. "Where is the snake, where's Voldemort, Harry? We need to kill the snake-" He interrupted me furiously as I tried to change the subject.

"Hell no, you're staying somewhere safe. Every time you cast a spell, it hurts you. You'll be killed, Ariana." He said heatedly, and the castle shuddered from an attack, dust falling from the ceiling. I pulled out of Ron's grasp and drew my wand, and pointed it down the hallway, where shouts were coming from.

"_Expecto Patronum!"_ I said clearly, and even though the magic intensified, I blocked it off, ignored it. The animal that burst from my wand tip was one that I did not expect. A lioness prowled down the hallway, and from the new screams coming from the end of the hall, it was doing its job mangling Death Eaters. "I'm fighting. I'm not leaving you all." I said firmly, ignoring the slight discomfort of the pain building up with the magic, making a slight pressure descend in my brain. Ignoring their shock, I turned back to Harry.

"Now, where is Voldemort? We need to kill the snake." I said determinedly, and Harry, still looking unconvinced, closed his eyes, his face going blank. After a moment, his eyes snapped open.

"He's in—" A thunderous bang blocked out his words, and two Death Eaters came around the corner, wands raised.

"POTTER!" One bellowed, raising his wand further, to cast a spell.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _I cried, and the lioness erupted again, roaring as it charged the Death Eaters, leaping and blocking spells aimed down the hallway, and then knocked the Death Eater's flat on their backs. It snatched their wands in its mouth, then came running back to me, depositing them solemnly as Hermione Stunned the two Death Eaters. I snatched them up and ran down the hallway then down a flight of stairs, Percy and Fred breaking off. As we raced for the Great Hall, I threw the two wands to two wizards from our side without wands.

"Head for the Shrieking Shack!" Harry yelled over the noise as a curse made us scatter to avoid it.

"_Expecto Patronum!"_ I cried again, and the lioness tackled a Death Eater who was aiming for the back of Ron's head. Then, the lioness leapt on top of a desk and roared, a huge, echoing roar of fury, of defiance, making the fight almost stop and dust fall from the ceiling. Then, fighters for Hogwarts started jeering, yelling to match it, and the fight started with a new vigor. As we tore across the grounds, avoiding a fight between two giants, I felt the coldness, the coldness of Dementors. Hundreds of them started to close in, and Harry had frozen, despair filling his face.

"Patronuses Harry, come on!" Hermione's voice reached me, snapping me back to my senses. "Come on, Harry!" Hermione said again, but with less intensity as the coldness came barreling down upon us, Harry's face paled until he was white-

"_Expecto Patronum!" _ I gasped, and the huge lioness erupted once again, swiping at the Dementors, starting to force them back. "Something happy, think of something happy!" I racked my brains for something happy as my Patronus started to die, something happy, a strong, powerful emotion…my skin had turned cold, my breath was coming in gasps. Loss hit me as I pictured Albus, still and cold, and I suddenly felt no grief, only fury, fury for what Voldemort had done-

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!"_ I cried, and the lioness burst from my wand again, dazzling and amazingly bright in the darkness, and it roared again, that freedom filled roar, and I felt my heart soar, and my Patronus seemed to shudder, then grew larger, and roared louder, sending chills up my spine at its strength, strength I didn't possess. It reminded me of phoenix song, my Patronus. The Dementors hastily vanished into the shadows, and the lioness prowled back to me, its magnificent head sparkling in the light as it stopped in front of us.

"That," Ron panted, "was incredible." I didn't smile; it had cost me, and the pressure was starting to make my head spin.

"Let's get to the shack." I said shakily, and we started running again, dashing across the grounds and towards the willow, when dreadful screams started coming from the castle, and I was in a vision again, skittering to a halt-

_The line of bodies was long, mourners huddled around their ranks, tears streaming down their faces. As I 'got' closer, I could see a group of red-haired people who had to be the Weasley's crowded around two beings. "He's gone, gone forever," Ron's father was saying stiffly, looking down upon the young couple I had seen in the Room of Requirement. They were dead, looking peacefully asleep, but I could tell they were dead, I could tell they were leaving a child behind, to be alone in this world--_

"I can't, I can't go." I said, and Ron, Hermione and Harry looked worried as I grimaced and put a hand on my midsection. "I know I said that I wouldn't leave you, but, I can't, I can't let them fight alone." I didn't clarify, and they didn't ask.

"Be careful," Harry and I said at the same time, and I smiled weakly, then turned and ran back towards the castle, ready to use the built up magic until it killed me, if that was what was necessary. I couldn't help but agonize over the group. What if Harry was killed like in the vision while I wasn't there? What if Ron and Hermione were separated, injured, killed? I shoved the thought away and raced back up the steps, and rejoined the fight, only casting spells when necessary, the lioness I had conjured running astride me, going off and helping random strangers win their fight occasionally, then coming back to me. I was searching everywhere for the young couple, and when my Patronus looked up to the ceiling, then ran smoothly out of the Hall, I followed. I felt the magic and my own blood singing in my ears as we rounded a corner, and saw the man fighting a Death Eater, the woman a little ways down the hallway fighting another. I didn't know when it might happen, I was determined to prevent their deaths. Feeling affection for the two people I didn't know, I let my Patronus go for the woman, making both the men fighting turn open mouthed as it charged by.

"_Stupefy!"_ My spell hit the Death Eater straight in the forehead, and the thunderous bang it made caused the Death Eater fighting the woman to look up in shock, just in time for my Patronus to tackle it with a snarl, swiping it's wand from his hand, and it went spinning down the hallway. The woman Stunned the man she had been fighting, then stood there, open mouthed, watching the lioness as it strolled back down the hallway to me, it's huge paws padding silently on the stone floor, it's size halfway up to the ceiling.

"Find Harry, Ron and Hermione, make sure they're all right. Come get me if they need help, alright?" I asked it softly, having to look up to properly address it, and it purred a deep rumbling purr before jumping straight out the window and streaked across the sky over the grounds. I turned back to the woman and the man, looking at me in shock.

"Are you…Ariana? The girl Fred mentioned? Dumbledore's sister?" The man said finally, and I suddenly identified him as Lupin, Hermione had mentioned him a long time ago back when we were traveling.

"Yes," I nodded, and my head felt woolly from the movement, the pressure was building. "Be careful, for your son." I said, and his mouth fell open in surprise. I turned to go, and strode briskly down the hallway, then as I was going down the stairs, my Patronus caught up to me, leaping gracefully through a window, then darting off. I followed, the fear I had managed to control coming back. Would it lead me to the front steps, to see Harry dead in Hagrid's arms? Voldemort's message played loudly, echoing in the castle as the Patronus sped up, cutting through a tapestry. Despite the warning at the end, I felt relief. If he was talking directly to Harry, he had to still be alive. The lioness padded swiftly down a hall and I heard footsteps coming closer, pounding as they came to the cross roads where my hallway and their hallway met. It was Harry. There was a bit of blood on the front of his robes, but he looked alright. "Harry," I breathed, relieved, and he skidded to a halt, and then relaxed when he saw it was only me. I fell in step beside him without having to be asked.

"The snake was too well protected, Voldemort had something protecting it. But, he killed Snape. He gave me this," Harry held up a vial of memories, "before he died." He slowed and I looked up in surprise, I had been watching Harry. We were in front of a stone gargoyle.

"Password?" It asked.

"Dumbledore," Harry said absentmindedly, not hearing it, "I need to talk to—" He blinked as the gargoyle stepped aside, revealing the spiraling staircase behind it. I stepped on with Harry.

"You have an hour Harry. Do you honestly think there is something important in that memory?" I asked as Harry pushed open the door to a brightly lit, large office. Empty frames for pictures lined the walls, and Harry looked frustrated as he glared at one behind the imposing chair behind a huge desk.

"I-yes." Harry picked up the Pensieve and sat it down on the desk, then uncorked his flask and poured in the memory. The lioness growled quietly. Harry looked at me, then the swirling memory. After a moment, he plunged his face in and vanished. Not wanting to leave him, I examined the office. It seemed bare and unfriendly, cold. Anxiously, I threw a look at the Pensieve. Harry had not yet emerged, and I wondered what he could be possibly seeing inside it. Suddenly, Harry was lying on the office floor, his face shocked and horrified. For a second, I couldn't- didn't dare speak. Harry looked incredibly resigned now, his face, although pale, was set.

"Harry," I whispered, and he didn't start, but glanced over at me with such sadness, it shocked me. Then, his face changed to carefully controlled.

"I have to go, to the forest. Snape was…was on our side all along. I know how I can kill the snake," He stood up quickly, and glanced around the room, not looking at me.

"Alone? Harry, the forest is swarming with Death Eaters, Dementors and Voldemort himself!" I said, quickly following him as he left the office. I slipped down the few steps Harry was ahead and turned him around. "Harry, do you realize how dangerous this is? Hermione has the sword somewhere, so you'd have to stab the thing with the fang-it's too dangerous." I insisted, staring at him, trying to make him understand, but Harry walked out into the corridor until I caught him again. "Look at me," I ordered, holding his shoulders as firmly as I was capable at the present, to stop him. My fingers trembled as usual on his shoulders as his eyes seemed to meet mine unwillingly. "Let me come with you, to protect you." I said firmly. A ghost of a smile flitted across his face, and he lifted his wand.

"_Expecto Patronum." _He said flatly, but the stag came from his wand and charged defiantly down the hallway, then vanished. "I'm fighting," he said, quoting me, "but I need you to stay here. Protect Ron and Hermione." He started walking again, and it hit me. I sprinted after him and got in front of him again.

"You're not giving yourself up, are you? Please tell me you're not, not after all the work, all the pain." I said, and he shook his head fiercely.

"No, I have to kill the snake, then Voldemort. I'm not giving myself up." He brushed past me and kept walking, looking deeply resolute, and deep in thought. I fell back in step again, the lioness leading the way through the strangely silent hallways. As we started getting closer to the Great Hall, he stopped and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. I took his wrist before he could put it on.

"Be-be careful, Harry. Good luck. Come back to me." I had meant to say it strongly, but it came out as a whisper. He hesitated, and then wrapped me in a tight hug. He was hugging me like he never wanted to let me go. I returned it, slightly worried. He seemed so sorry, his hands holding my jacket in his fists, almost angry…Harry pulled away, and without looking at me, disappeared under the Cloak. I didn't move as the lioness padded seemingly alone down the hallway, but I knew it was not alone.


	12. Chapter 12

~Twelve

_Ariana_

Eventually, I forced myself to go down to the Great Hall. Everyone was clustered in groups, the injured were being tended to. I stopped at the line of bodies and felt a sadness wash over to me as my lioness finally rejoined me. I had not saved all the people I could have, and even she looked mournful. I sat down painfully at a table, and I didn't hear people near me until Hermione and Ron sat on either side of me. I let the lioness disappear in a shimmering mist, and then vanish. The total amount of magic required to keep her up simply added to the total, making my heart skip a beat. I didn't know when, but that magic would release, like Harry had said.

And now I understood his fear from only a few hours ago. All of that leaving would surely kill me, but it had to be for a cause, it had to be put to use. I felt a spark of amusement at the fact that I was so willingly accepting that I would die soon. But if I thought about it, I realized I wouldn't have spent my time any other way. Even if the torture at the manor sped up the process, never mind the fact that staying with Harry, Hermione and Ron had made it worse.

"Where is Harry? He followed your Patronus, we thought he'd be with you." Hermione's voice brought me back to the present. I looked over at her, and she must have seen something in my expression that made her look at me with worry.

"He's gone to kill the snake. Snape's thoughts showed him how, apparently Snape was on our side all along. I tried to go with him, he wouldn't let me. I was a fool to let him go alone." I added the last part as an afterthought, but a sudden, terrible thought rushed into my head.

What if Harry had given himself up, gone to Voldemort after all. What if, as we converged on the steps of Hogwarts at Voldemort's call, Hagrid would emerge from the woods, Harry dead in his arms? _No, Harry wouldn't do that. He told me he wasn't. He promised me. _I told myself, but the doubt continued as more facts to support my unwanted theory came forward from visions. In the vision, I had blood all down my front, and my clothing was like that now. I had looked exactly as how Harry had described my appearance a few hours ago, pale, withdrawn, shaking, and sickly. Harry had gone alone; did he stop me from coming with him with a lie, to let him die alone?

"Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents, children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

Voldemort's words pierced me like a knife, yet somehow, I had known that he was going to say them before he had. I knew Harry hadn't ran away, but even if he had, he couldn't be dead, it wasn't possible. He had made me a promise, and I had made a promise to myself to keep him safe. I stumbled out of my seat, shaking, and streaked down the Great Hall, skidded out the door, then sprinted through the Entrance Hall, tears falling down my face as I realized the vision was coming true, it had to be. I could hear people running behind me, and people were shouting; it was chaos. I raised my wand and the old school doors blasted open, and I skidded to a stop, my long hair and robes falling forward, then back from the force of my stop as I stopped almost sideways in the middle of the stairs looking out onto the gravel path leading up to the doors, needing conformation that I wasn't mistaken.

Hermione, Neville and Ron joined me, seeming out of breath, but they had the same crazy hope in their eyes. Neville had the sword of Godric Gryffindor against his side, looking aghast as dark shapes broke away from the shadows and strode into the light. Voldemort had Nagini around his shoulders, and was stroking her head with that satisfied, mirthless smirk on his face. The Death Eaters lined up in a line a few yards back from the steps, and then, out of the darkness, came Hagrid. The world stopped, I could not draw breath.

Harry was in his arms, limp, _dead._

He had lied, lied to me. I could have stopped him. _I could have stopped him!_ I had seen this months ago, I had been the last person with him before he left! "_NO!"_ Minerva McGonagall screamed, the terrible noise I had heard twice before ringing in my head, joining the constant pounding of the magic. Voldemort was laughing now, twirling his long wand in his fingers as his eyes met mine, dead center on the steps. His lips quirked in that smile, and he held the wand steady, pointed at me. People all around me were sobbing, crying, tears falling down their faces in shock.

"SILENCE!" Voldemort bellowed, and with a flick of his wand, and a _bang_ silence descended over us. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!" Tears streaked down my face at Harry's betrayal as Hagrid placed him gently down. I wanted to call out, break the silence, but my voice would not work, it was like I had been cursed again. All I could see was Hagrid emerging from the trees, exactly as the vision had predicted.

I found my vision focusing to see Voldemort watching me, the smirk was back, and yet, I could almost feel the fury behind his eyes, ready to be unleashed. Almost to match him, I stored the grief for later, and cold, harsh determination rose in me, and hate. I would kill this man; I would kill him or die trying."You…" Voldemort hissed softly, his red eyes gleaming with satisfaction as my eyes met his. "Perhaps you would like to join your brother Albus? No, no, I think not. You can serve me…"

"I'd rather die." I said with an awful coldness, but my words were true, I would rather see Harry and Albus once more, free from this life of pain. Voldemort's eyes flared with hate, and he raised his wand. I knew he was going to kill me, with Harry dead, what would he need me for? Finally, anyone who was ever a threat to him would be dead. Suddenly, Neville charged out of the crowd, wand raised at Voldemort-

"No!" I cried out, moving to follow him, hold him back, but Ron caught my arm, there was a bang, and a flash of red light that made me flinch. Neville was Disarmed, but I still pulled against Ron's hands, he had grabbed my other arm as I went to draw my wand. If he touched Neville, placed one spell on him, I'd kill him right now. Fury mixed with grief and raised the pulse of the magic in my head, until it thumped with deadly force.

Suddenly, Neville had withdrawn the sword, it swung through the air. It sliced Nagini's head straight from her body. Voldemort was screaming in fury, raising his wand again as the world deadened to my ears, the magic thundering loudly. I pulled my arms free from Ron, snatched my wand, and went to cast the killing curse, Voldemort was mine. Chaos erupted around me as spells flew, Voldemort was out of my sight, and as I looked for Harry's body—it wasn't there. It was gone, vanished.

"HARRY!" Hagrid shouted. "WHERE'S HARRY?" As the fight broke out, we were starting to be forced inside the Entrance Hall, then into the Great Hall. I was searching for Voldemort, my fury making my spells even more powerful, the Stunners now killing Death Eaters as it hit them, and I cast my Patronus, which roared again, encouraging the escalading fight with a different sounding roar, one full of defiance, but also grief, in pain.

Then it split into two fights, Mrs. Weasley fighting Bellatrix; and Kingsley, Slughorn and Professor McGonagall dueling Voldemort. Voldemort seemed to fire a spell to fast for Kingsley to see, and it was headed right for him. My Patronus vanished at my thoughts, only to reappear and deflect the curse from Kingsley, and I joined it, magic burning in my veins, better than adrenaline- Voldemort laughed his high, cold laugh as I let my Patronus block another spell he aimed at me. Our eyes met, and he sneered.

"Come to fight, have we? Did you _love_ him, care for the Boy Who Lived? How about your brother?" he called mockingly, and I didn't even have to say the words, my Stunner shot straight for him, and the thunderous bang, louder than ever before, that sounded when he deflected it made shock cross his face. I trembled, traitor tears starting to fall.

"I cared for him, all who have died from you hand, and for my brother, Albus Dumbledore!" I cried back, slashing more curses from my wand, which echoed louder and louder against his deflections, making the glass windows rattle in their panes, and dust fall from the ceiling. He shot a killing curse for my head, and at the same time aimed impeccably for Kingsley, McGonagall and Slughorn. I ducked to avoid it and shot low, for his legs.

Suddenly, with a wild laugh, Mrs. Weasley killed Bellatrix. Voldemort shrieked in fury, and the blast of his anger sent us flying backward. I hit the floor hard, and the pain that I had stored came out, making me limp where I fell, the pain beyond vocalizing. It was burning my nerves to cinders. I felt a hand shaking my shoulder-

"_Protego!"_ A voice roared, and then there were screams and yells echoing faintly in my ears, but the words slowly began to register.

"HE'S ALIVE!"

"Harry!"

"_Harry!!"_

It was impossible. I had seen Harry dead three times now. I was viewing the visions again, my lips frozen shut, unable to scream with the pain and anguish as I viewed them again, mixing with my own memories. I knew my eyes were open, even though I couldn't see the hall. Tears were rolling almost lazily down my face.

"I don't want anyone to try and help. It's got to be like this. It's got to be me." Harry's voice rang out loudly in the quiet hall, but he was dead. I was imagining sound to go with the pictures sliding through my head. Harry, roaring with laughter when I called Voldemort a git, Harry, watching me with concern as I shook, screamed and cried so often with the painful visions and reactions-

"Potter doesn't mean that! That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?" Voldemort's high cold voice echoing in my head with Harry's, building a sea of sound, even though the hall was quiet. I realized I was probably dying, or dead, if I was seeing this, hearing this. I felt a spasm of regret, I had known Harry, Hermione and Ron for such a small fraction of time…

Harry, looking pale at Shell Cottage after he had buried the elf, Harry, helping me up the dragon at Gringotts. Harry cornered by Malfoy and the two burly men in the Room of Requirement, the spells ringing through my head-

"Nobody. There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good…" Harry's voice joined the sea once more, and I felt a stab of disgust. If I was envisioning this, what was wrong with me? Why couldn't I leave Harry at peace?

Voldemort's laugh echoed in my head, setting off another round of pain, more anguish, fear and grief. I could have stopped Harry from dying, _I had been right there_. Voldemort had probably killed me with a spell, and I would release the magic. But it was taking a long, agonizing time for me to die, the magic wasn't coming, only the stifled pain I had shoved away was, which meant this would go on for a long, _long_ time…

I was giving Aberforth his hug goodbye, promising to be safe, to come back. Time was reversing, I was walking up the steps of Gringotts, still sore from the manor-I was writhing on the floor, Bellatrix laughing, voices shouting my name below-I was watching Albus's face on the cover of the biography while Harry, Ron and Hermione were listening to the radio-

"I brought about the death of Albus Dumbledore!" Voldemort shrieked almost triumphantly in my ears, and my loss for Albus deepened until I thought I would burst, until the sadness would overwhelm the magic and do away with me for good. I had lost Harry, and Albus. If I had controlled myself, I might have had more time with Albus. If I had really cared for Harry, I wouldn't have let him go alone…

But it wasn't so. I was drying Harry off with my wand, furious for him jumping in the pool to get the sword when he knew it had a good chance of killing him, Then I was lying in the snow, feeling sick as Hermione tried to repair Harry's broken wand-

"I am the true master of the Elder Wand." Harry's voice, although whispered, was if he was shouting it in my ear. I must be truly sick, I was dreaming up Harry thinking he had won, thinking he was about to end it all…

I was slowly awakening in the coffin, darkness all around me in the suffocating wrap, the moment of the curse slowly dying in my brain-I was on my bedroom floor, trying to muffle my screams of pain, my mother was stomping up the stairs, swearing and shouting-

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

"_Expelliarmus!"_


	13. Chapter 13

~Thirteen

_Ariana_

My eyes closed when so softly compared to the voices swimming in my head, a body hit the floor. Silence pounded in on my ears, and then, people were roaring, screaming, crying out in triumph. The sudden blast of noise shredded my final ounce of strength, and the magic burst forth from its restraints, helping no one, not saving the life that mattered most, Harry's… I could feel it passing straight up, away from me. It was ironic, the magic was silent, yet I wanted to scream, to react to the pain crippling my body, but there was no escape. My head had emptied of sound, except for what sounded like footsteps racing closer, a voice, so familiar, calling my name in disbelief… And then the world was gone.

After a while, I realized I was lying down, and that I must be dead. Then, I realized I was naked. With that thought in mind, I sat up, and clothes were already there. I put them on and stood up, standing straight and tall without effort; the magic seemed to have vanished for the moment. The place seemed deserted, until a mist began to unfurl, and revealed a garden. It was incredibly beautiful, with different kinds of vibrant flowers blooming everywhere. The 'sun' was warm and comforting, and I swear I could hear birds singing. The area smelt of freshly cut grass. Two chairs sat in a perfectly circular mound of dirt in the center of the garden, waiting to be occupied. Curious, I strode over, and stopped as someone else stepped from the mist, towards the other chair.

Albus was wearing robes of a midnight blue, standing quite straight for a man of his age. His nose was bent in the same crooked pattern I had memorized from the cover of his biography. His half-moon spectacles that he had worn ever since I could remember where slightly lopsided on his nose. His long white hair and beard were neat. Albus's eyes were swimming with tears, with regret. We just stared at each other, memorizing each other's image. When I couldn't take it anymore, I ran across the meadow and embraced him, starting to cry, full out cry. I held him as tight as I possibly could, here he was, Albus, he was here-

His arms encircled me like a warm blanket; his embrace had stayed the same even in death. "Ariana, Ariana…" Albus stammered it over and over, as if it was the only word he knew. He gently sat me down in one of the chairs, and at last, I looked up to see Albus gazing at me intently.

"Albus, I never died, not until now." I choked finally, and Albus looked confused.

"I knew that you had not perished that day when I died myself. But you are not dead, Ariana." I laughed weakly, finally sitting up straight in the chair, my face wet with tears, my long hair hanging down into my lap.

"Well, that's good to know, I guess. But how did you find out I hadn't died?" I asked, and he sighed.

"You were not were all spirits go when they die. I searched and searched, after apologizing to Father and…admonishing Mother…but you were not there. Harry confirmed my suspicions." I lurched.

"_Harry? _Is that what you said? He's here?!!" I leapt up, but Albus shook his head.

"I met with Harry earlier. He isn't dead, Ariana. Voldemort's seventh Horcrux was inside him. Voldemort destroyed it when Harry gave himself up in the woods." Albus's words were fading in my ears. Had I really been hearing Harry facing Voldemort one on one? Or was I just imagining all of this?

"All the magic released, Albus. It must have killed me, the pain was unbearable." I insisted, and Albus sighed again.

"You are not dead, or alive at the present time. You are in-between. _I'm_ dead, but you and Harry are not." Albus smiled kindly at me, taking my hand. I sat back down.

"If I'm alive, then what am I doing here?" I asked, and Albus's smile faded.

"The magic as you said, did release, all the magic that had been inside you, through your wand when Voldemort's fury…unsteadied you. Some of it still remains in the wand, and your spells will still be as powerful. Your heart is restarting. Ariana, I worked out a theory when I was alive, and I know why you didn't die when the wand stabbed you. The magic needed a new home, like a parasite. It lived in your heart ever since. Without the magic, your heart suddenly had a job to do. Essentially, the magic was keeping you alive, not your heart." Albus sighed again. "I missed you," He added quietly as I sat in shock. "When I thought you were dead…it tore me apart. Aberforth blamed me, broke my nose at your funeral." He withdrew a light blue handkerchief and blew his nose.

"Where are we, if I'm not dead, but in-between?" I questioned finally. Albus was highly intelligent, and his theory on my magic troubles was enough for me.

"You choose this place without realizing it. This is your decision." Albus said infuriatingly, when he was specifically withholding information. I decided to drop it.

"Will I still have the visions without the magic?" I asked, and he looked grim.

"Unfortunately, yes. I do not know if they will cause you as much pain as they used to, but the visions will remain. The magic dug up old Dumbledore roots, our great, great, great, great grandmother was a Seer." I spent a moment thinking, gazing about the garden I had supposedly created. "You have been so very brave, Ariana. I'm proud of you." Albus said, and we sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

"You said I'm alive…how do I go back?"

"All you must do is truly wish for it, and you'll wake up there." Albus gazed about the garden as well. I had so many questions for him, so many more things I wanted to know…

"I don't think I can leave you. It wasn't your fault, Albus, that mother cursed me, and you know that. And even if you had been there, it was Dark Magic, older than mother herself. You wouldn't have been able to lift it any way. But I know you don't feel that way, so I don't think I can leave you." Albus slowly swung his head back around to analyze me. For a second, it was a battle of the stares. His eyes were intense, and I realized that's how my eyes must look all the time. It was unsettling. Albus took a deep breath.

"Many people love you, want you back there. You can't stay; it's not your time yet. I will always regret your death, the same way you regret mine. Go back, Ariana." Albus stood, and I stood quickly to match him. I hugged him again, hard, and he returned the gesture, then he started to walk away.

"I-I can't do it." I croaked, holding tightly onto the back of my chair. Albus stopped walking and came back over. "A-albus, I never got the chance, _you _never got the chance-" Albus stopped my tearful rambling with one raised hand.

"Ariana, if you don't go back soon, you're heart will never restart, and you will die. I can't let you give up the life you just got back to spend time with me. You'll get the chance, I promise." He said solemnly, kissed the top of my head, and then turned to go, leaving me with that terrifying decision. Stay or go?

"Goodbye, Albus." I whispered as he vanished into the mist. I hesitated, but then gave into the mist, it swirled around me, and the light died as I wished for life, to see Harry again. I could feel the aches and pains, the extreme fatigue, and the emptiness in my heart that meant the magic had truly gone, and I was back.

_Harry_

I knelt at Ariana's side, beyond anguish. She had been so brave, so strong. I had lied to her, and then she had _died_. I couldn't help but wonder if she had joined Albus, finally pain free. I could picture her now, white, sitting in the chair in the tent, staring into her tea lifelessly as she told her story- She was furious, drying me off with her wand after I jumped into the frozen pool. Then she was crumpling in a ball as the Snatchers laughed, Greyback reached for her, set her off, the intense blue light that always came out of her lighting her face eerily, the color matching her eyes-Then I could hear her screaming in terrible, awful pain, I was locked in the basement in Malfoy Manor, desperately trying to stop her pain-

My gaze stopped on her face. For the first time I had ever seen it, her face was relaxed and calm. No pain made her stiff, made her frown. I had never noticed how perfectly red and firm her lips were, how long her lashes were, the perfect porcelain skin, high cheekbones… Her body was strangely still, compared to the shaking that became the norm with her. The intensity of her beautiful eyes that reminded me of Dumbledore everyday were hidden, never to look upon the world again. It seemed only moments ago, as I peeked through my lashes at the crowd, faking death, that I saw her furious face, the blazing blue eyes, the tears, Ron holding her back as she tried to go after Neville, her trembles rising in pitch…and then realizing that the vision she had seen at Malfoy Manor was of Hagrid carrying me out of the woods. I had heard her say she would rather die, once at the Manor, then again on the steps. It all made sense…

Ariana quaking behind me, the dragon soaring higher into the sky, Ariana shaking with sobs as Aberforth held her tightly, crying himself. Her gigantic lioness Patronus roaring, filling me with the same hope as phoenix song as the Dementors closed in-After Voldemort had fallen, the cheers erupting; then the intense blue column of magic had flamed up silently, hushing the hall. I had run over, calling her name, watched her Transfigured clothes change back, her body already mimicking death as she made no sound-her lioness standing beside her head, it's own head bowed. As the magic died, the lioness instantly dissolved into mist as she didn't breathe again…

I felt tears fall, splattering on the floor and sometimes onto her cold, frail hand, which I was squeezing tightly in mine, as if I could bring her back again. I felt stupid; I had tried and tried to make her sit it out, to essentially save herself, but each time, she had refused. If I had made her rest, would she still be alive?

_Ariana_

The stone floor beneath me was rough, and cold through my dress. The magic must have changed the Transfigured clothes back to the funeral dress, how appropriate. My left ankle felt sore, my head ringing with the slightest sound. Then I heard the crying, the people in mourning.

"It's like losing Dumbledore and Sirius all over again," I heard Harry say brokenly. Hermione hiccupped in a sob, and I heard a long sniff that must have belonged to Ron, his nose was the longest. I must have been in the long line of the dead, being mourned for the second time. A hand was squeezing mine tightly, and warm tears were sometimes hitting my hand. Slowly, my hand began to match the temperature of the tears, until the hand loosened, then twisted to press two fingers against the inside of my wrist. My pulse feebly pushed against my skin. I heard Harry gasp in shock.

"Harry, she's dead. You saw the magic leave her, as soon as Voldemort was dead, she was gone. Madam Pompfrey checked." Ron's voice said flatly, dead of any emotion. The hand trembled around mine.

"No, no, feel, feel there! I swear, there's a pulse, it's weak, but it's there—" Harry sounded beside himself. I heard Hermione moan and start crying harder. Then two, much colder fingers were pressing against my wrist, then a yelp of surprise.

"Hermione, what—" Ron started, sounding miserable, but Hermione drowned him out.

"_She's not dead!_" I heard her cry, and another hand seized mine and felt for a pulse.

"Ariana? Come on, Ariana! _Ariana!?"_ Harry whispered it like he couldn't believe it, and the floor trembled with new vibrations as more people came over.

"Harry-" Lupin's voice started, but Harry gave me a shake, ignoring him. My body stayed limp, even though I wanted to leap up and embrace him. A flurry of voices started a few feet away, and my pulse was checked again and again. I willed my eyes to open, to squeeze Harry's hand back, anything, but my strength was gone. I wanted so badly to call out, to tell him that it was alright. My body didn't respond, and I started to give up. I had lost all my strength for good, I was weak. Nothing. Darkness that I knew would kill me started to swirl in my head, my heart started to slow.

_No, no you did not lose your strength, Ariana. Your strength has never died._ Albus said quietly in my head.

_I can't Albus, I'm sorry._ I thought tiredly, and I felt the floor start to disappear once more.

"Wait, what's happening to her pulse?" A voice I didn't recognize by my side as my pulse was checked. Another hand seized my free wrist.

"It's slowing down!" Hermione sounded panicked.

"_What? _No!" Harry shook me again, with a greater intensity.

_Yes you can. You're a lioness. Fight._ Albus said firmly, and when I called for him again, he wasn't there. I listlessly thought about what he had said. He had called me a lioness, like my Patronus. My Patronus had been so strong, filled with so much determination, defiance and hope. Slowly, I felt my strength build with each heartbeat, Harry calling me my fuel. My body began to warm, until I felt truly cemented in life, not in-between. I willed my eyes to open again, and they started to flutter, and someone screamed in response, and I heard gasps all around in shock.

"Merlin's beard-" An astonished voice croaked. My eyes opened fully to find Harry sitting by my side in shock. He was white and withdrawn, his face still wet with tears, but he was looking at me like he had never seen me before. My lips twitched up involuntarily into a weak smile at the sight of him. Harry seized me and held me tight, and I felt moisture on my neck from his tears. I made my arms weakly at least to try to hug him back, but they ended up just resting around his neck. It was his turn to be shaking.

"H-how, h-how did, h-how are you—" he started stuttering, and pulled back, then caught me as I started to slip backwards. Despite being alive, my body was limp, it took effort to keep my head up on my own.

"I could ask you the same thing," I whispered faintly, and his eyes were suddenly burning into mine, the intense green making me feel grateful to be alive, to see them again.

"I couldn't tell you that I had to give myself up as the seventh Horcrux, you would have never let me go. That was the hardest thing I've ever done, lie straight to your face like that, especially when you guessed it before I had even left." He said frantically, determined to make me understand.

"Albus told me," I whispered again, and shock flittered over his face, then he stooped further and picked me up in his arms. Hermione, Ron, Lupin and his wife, the Weasley's, everyone seemed to be gathered around as Harry set me on my feet. I dropped again, my left ankle failing, and he simply picked me up once more. My world was suddenly horizontal, and I blinked slowly, comfortable in Harry's arms.

"She needs to go to the hospital wing," Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly, breaking the silence. She was crying. Harry left the crowd immediately, minus Ron and Hermione, who followed us up the marble staircase and through the deserted castle to the hospital wing.


	14. Chapter 14

~Fourteen

_Ariana_

The walk up to the hospital wing was spent in total silence. I was desperately tired, but I didn't want to close my eyes again. Even with my pitiful effort, I knew they closed often. Hermione held open the door, and Harry carried me through. Madam Pompfrey had already restored the wing; if there had been any damage to it, there was no evidence left now.

"Potter, what is the meaning of this?" Madam Pompfrey looked teary herself. "I already pronounced the young woman dead." She blew her nose, but Harry ignored her and put me on a bed. I lifted my head tiredly upwards, and Madam Pompfrey dropped her handkerchief as I met her gaze.

"That's…not…possible." She wheezed, sitting down rather heavily, looking at me like I was a ghost. "She didn't have a pulse! But then again, if you were dead, Harry, I guess everyone can come back to life today!" She laughed shakily and shooed them farther down the ward, and then drew the curtains around me. She tisked at the blood all over my dress, but helped me change into pajamas. She flicked her wand at the curtains and they went neatly back into place as she hurried down to her office. Hermione, Ron and Harry came back over.

"This is unreal." Hermione croaked, plopping down at the foot of my bed. She hastily got off as Madam Pompfrey came back down the ward, and waved her wand over me. Hermione raised her eyebrows as no magic came out, and Ron and Harry exchanged looks. Madam Pompfrey tisked again and lifted the covers at the end, and pointed her wand at my left ankle, muttered something, and with a pop that made me start, my ankle seemed to twitch, then lay still. She came back up and a chart floated over to her, and she briskly pushed me further into a relaxed and reclining position in the bed as I went to tiredly sit upright.

"One broken ankle, severe dehydration and malnutrition…obvious soreness and bruising…lack of sleep," she stopped reading and glanced up at me, then the chart flew away, and she was going back down the ward.

"I wonder when I broke my ankle. That's interesting," I said lightly, my throat rasping less this time. I fought down the mad urge to laugh as Ron looked at me like I was crazy. I realized that this could very easily be true, I could be delirious.

"Ariana, you said Albus told you about the seventh Horcrux…?" Harry asked uncertainly, looking like he didn't know how to phrase it. He looked at me, desperate for me to confirm it. I started to nod, the movement as minimal as I could make it. I wanted to talk to them, but I was trying not to nod off at the same time.

"Mr. Potter, despite the fact that you have been in this wing too many times for me to count, does not mean that you may make your own rules. Ms. Dumbledore needs to rest, and she needs lots of it. She was dead half and hour ago." Madam Pompfrey was back, carrying three bottles of potion and a glass tumbler. She poured a full glass of the first one, a harsh green color, and I took it hesitantly. "Drink," she ordered, and I pulled a face as I did so. Madam Pompfrey poured the second one, and it was crystal clear. Despite my suspicions of it tasting like the first one, the second had no flavor. Madam Pompfrey handed me the whole bottle of the last one, and I looked at her in surprise. The potion inside was a shocking purple color, and it reminded me instantly of the green potion.

"Drink as much of it as you can," She said, raising her eyebrow as I still didn't drink, then she sighed in an annoyed fashion. "Yes, it's purple, but it will make you sleep." Harry frowned.

"Is that the same stuff I took after the third task?" He asked her.

"Stronger," Madam Pompfrey said, then glared at me when Harry objected; I still hadn't drunk the potion. He looked more worried than he should be, almost protective.

"Stronger? What for?" Madam Pompfrey turned to glare at him.

"Mr. Potter, I don't know why you find this so important, but Ms. Dumbledore will sleep as long as she needs to. You all could use some, but seeing as your condition is not, at the present, life threatening, I will focus on the patient who actually needs the attention. Ms. Dumbledore could actually use a stronger dose, so don't tempt me." She snapped, and he backed off. With a sigh, I lifted the bottle to my lips and drank. It was warm, like hot chocolate, but if there was a flavor, I was suddenly too tired to think about it. "There she goes," Madam Pompfrey said from far away, and I felt her take the bottle as I slumped deeper into the pillows, my brain feeling fuzzy. "Now, I expect quiet over here. I know she is close to you, Mr. Potter, but I cannot tolerate raised voices in the Hospital Wing." Madam Pompfrey fluffed the pillows briskly. I heard her march away, and I felt someone take my hand, and then I was gone.

I couldn't' tell how long I had been asleep, but I was warm and sleepy when I thought I woke up. It was hard to tell if I was awake or asleep. The hand was gone, but I could hear what sounded like pages turning and loud snores. I considered going back to sleep, but the snores were impossible to ignore. I let my eyes open and scan the hospital wing. Hermione was sitting next to my bed, reading a huge book. She smiled at me as I sat up slowly. Ron was a few beds down, dead asleep, snoring loudly. One bed over was Harry, sleeping restlessly. I could tell it was very early morning, the sun was just touching the trees in the Forbidden Forest.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked as Hermione bookmarked her page and set the book on my nightstand. My voice had lost its rasp.

"You slept for the rest of the day, and all night." Hermione sighed as Ron snored loudly once more.

"That must have been a strong potion," I murmured. My body felt slightly refreshed, despite my grumbling. I didn't feel sick or light-headed anymore either; the weakness seemed to have passed. "How long have they been asleep?" I asked, looking over at the two boys. Hermione chuckled.

"Well, Ron fell asleep pretty quickly once it got dark outside. Harry, on the other hand, we almost had to drug to get him to fall asleep." Hermione's tone turned serious.

"Drug? Why?" I asked, astonished. Hermione scooted her chair closer.

"He insisted that he stay right beside you the whole time. Eventually, he fell asleep, and Madam Pompfrey Hover Charmed him to a bed. Ariana," she started, seeing my confusion, "Harry really cares about you." She said seriously.

"Of course he does, he's my friend. I'm sure he would do the same for you or Ron," I said, but she simply laughed.

"When I was Petrified second year, Madam Pompfrey told me when I woke up that they visited every week, that's it." She laughed again, glancing affectionately at the two boys.

"Hermione, if you were Petrified, it's not like you could chat with them as you healed or something. And there was a giant basilisk loose in the castle. They couldn't exactly stroll up here any time they wanted." Hermione shook her head, grinning.

"Ariana, I've known these two longer than you have. When Ron likes someone, he ignores them, or he bickers with them constantly. Harry gets withdrawn and unsure, then incredibly defensive and protective. He fell asleep holding your hand." She insisted, crossing her legs and throwing an annoyed look at Ron as he snored again. I felt my heart skip a beat. Harry fell asleep at my bedside, holding my hand? I suddenly flashed to back to waking up and seeing the intensity in his green eyes. It made me shiver.

"Come off it, Hermione," I started weakly, but couldn't help but get warm inside as I glanced at Harry and Ron again, my mouth twitching into a tired smile. "I've traveled with you three for a year. He's known you for what is it now, seven? I just can't…believe it. He's too good for me." I ended, and she squealed. Madam Pompfrey stuck her head out of her office and frowned down the ward, then vanished as she saw I was awake.

"_I knew it! _I knew you liked him back, I KNEW IT!" Hermione whispered fiercely. I opened my mouth to defend myself, pretty sure I hadn't confirmed anything, but on her way over, Madam Pompfrey kicked the bed Ron was in, and he sat straight up, hair all over the place.

"Whozair?" He muttered sleepily. Hermione giggled in a combined reaction to me and Ron.

"Quiet, or you'll wake him up," Madam Pompfrey snapped, but looked almost tenderly at Harry as she passed. She stopped in front of my bed and waved her wand again, then sighed. "Winky?" She asked the air, and there was a loud crack, making Harry bolt up in bed, swearing, looking disoriented. A house elf had appeared in front of Madam Pompfrey. "Is there any possibility of getting food from the kitchen?" Harry tripped in his haste to get out of bed and swore again, getting a glare from Madam Pompfrey.

"I'm sorry, Madam Pompfrey, but they are still being fixed!" Winky squeaked, and as Madam Pompfrey nodded, Winky vanished with another loud crack. She flicked her wand at her office, and two bottles came out. Harry stood next to Hermione, looking relieved, but incredibly tired.

"How do you feel?" He asked, and I suddenly realized what Hermione meant. He asked it with an air of forced indifference, but he never took his eyes off of me. I smiled involuntarily, but it was a tired smile, without real warmth.

"Much better…damn," I ended as Madam Pompfrey handed me another full glass of the green potion, and a glare as I finished my sentence.

"Most of us have been going to Aberforth's for food, but he's out. You'll have to get your nourishment this way." She looked at me like she was daring me to argue. I took the potion like a shot, but it still tasted terrible. Then she handed me the sleeping potion bottle again.

"What? Haven't I slept enough?" I meekly took the bottle as she glared at me fiercely.

"I know you four have much to discuss, but if you ever want to be healthy again in the quickest amount of time, you'll drink." She Summoned a third much smaller bottle, and forced it on Harry.

"Why should I take some?" He eventually took the bottle from her with distaste. "I don't need to sleep."

"Oh yes you do, Mr. Potter. You barely slept last night, and you dueled in the war like everyone else, and they all got some. Now drink." She glared at him, and he glanced at Hermione, Ron and I.

"Can't we talk for five minutes first?" He asked, and she sighed and strode away. "How long have you been awake?" He turned to me, and he sounded almost angry with himself. Hermione grinned at me hugely at that remark, and I barely fought down a flush.

"Um, about five minutes. And Madam Pompfrey is right; I can see your bags from here." I remarked, and he frowned at me.

"I'm fine; it's you I'm worried about." He said, and I rolled my eyes as he suddenly flushed.

"I'm not covered in blood anymore, I've gotten some sleep for the first time in what seems like months, and I haven't had an attack since-Oh!" I said, realizing they didn't know that the magic was gone. No wonder he was still worried.

"What is it?" Hermione asked before Harry could.

"It all left, it's gone, the magic's gone. Albus had a theory, he said that my heart wasn't actually keeping me alive while the magic was there; I was living off of it as it lived off of me. My heart had to start working, and it didn't know how, but the magic stuck in my wand gave it a little kick-start." I said quickly as Madam Pompfrey paced in front of the clock on the wall. Hermione grinned.

"That's fantastic! So, no more attacks? No more visions?" She asked eagerly.

"No more attacks, but I'll still have visions." I said, and Hermione stopped short, looking surprised.

"So you'll still be getting hurt?" Ron piped up in the back, sounding disgusted.

"I don't know, and Albus didn't know either. I'll just have to take it as it comes." I said calmly. "So I won't tremble anymore, but if I do, there will be a pretty good chance that a vision's on the way." Harry, Hermione and Ron just grinned at me for a second, and in that second, Madam Pompfrey swept over.

"Both of you _drink._" She snapped. Harry's grin instantly vanished. I took my bottle from her and raised an eyebrow at him, which he didn't see as he reluctantly watched Madam Pompfrey open his bottle. At least he didn't have to finish a monster bottle like I did.

"Honestly, I don't need it, its daytime!" He insisted as Madam Pompfrey poured him a glass much smaller than my bottle.

"Don't you dare argue, Mr. Potter. It's not like it's the end of the world." Madam Pompfrey snapped. I raised my bottle to the glass so unwillingly in his hand.

"Cheers," I said as Madam Pompfrey nearly forced Harry into the bed next to me at wandpoint. Hermione and Ron had slipped into the shadows to avoid being medicated, and I didn't blame them. Harry threw an anxious glance my way as I drank again and almost instantly slumped, the world going dark. Madam Pompfrey had given me a stronger draught. The bottle slipped from my fingers and hit the ground with a clunk, and then I was gone again.


	15. Chapter 15

~Fifteen

_Ariana_

For a second, I thought I was in limbo again; I was waking up the exact same way. Madam Pompfrey had tucked me in the bed, but one arm was out in the air. Two much firmer hands were clasped around it, and they felt warm compared to my hand. The hands worked light swirling patterns with their thumbs on my skin. The clock ticked farther down the ward, but other than that, there was only silence.

My body felt much more rested now, I felt better than I had in years. For all my complaining, Madam Pompfrey had done an amazing job. I congratulated her sleepily in my head as I woke up further. Too tired to open my eyes quickly, they slowly drifted open and focused. Harry was looking out the window at a fiery orange sun as it set. He looked happier and calmer than I had ever seen him. I closed my eyes to memorize the image, and then looked up again. He seemed deep in thought, his eyes a million miles away from Hogwarts.

I watched the light change the shadows on his face as the sun set lower and lower. Then I looked around the ward again. It was empty, Ron and Hermione were gone. I felt a smidge of happiness, I hoped they were together. "You're awake." Harry's voice made me start, and I turned my head hastily to meet his gaze. He had sounded relieved, and it made my heart swell. I couldn't help but feel relived too; I was awake, and he was here.

"How long was it this time?" I asked, and he frowned.

"Two days," He tried to say it offhandedly, but I could tell he was upset. I quickly sat up, making him jump in surprise.

"_Two days?!_" I said hoarsely. If I hadn't slept enough for Madam Pompfrey, I was going to run away down the ward. Harry nodded and I swore softly and laid back down, my long hair spilling out on the pillow. I closed my eyes again, and asked the question I was dreading the answer to. "How long were you out?" The longer he had been awake and I hadn't, the more worried he would be.

"Five hours." Harry's voice was flat, and I swore again under my breath, and we spent a moment in silence. "Can you…open your eyes? I'm sorry, but I've seen them closed for so long," Harry added quickly, like he was defending himself. I smiled, thinking back to what Hermione had said and obeyed. We watched each other for a moment more.

"Now what? You killed Voldemort, what are you going to do with yourself? Your schooling is done with." Harry frowned once more.

"I was thinking about that. I'm going to have to find a job. Grimmalaud Place is open for me to use, now that the Death Eaters no longer control the ministry." He sighed.

"Oh, the horror of having a job. You could always write a book or something, you'd make tons of money." I suggested, and he laughed, making me smile.

"What like a memoir? No way. I'm not a sap." He chuckled, and raised his eyebrows at me. "What are _you_ going to do?" It seemed like he had been waiting for the opportunity to ask me.

"I'll probably live with Aberforth. He's been so lonely. I could always be a little bar wench and pass out the drinks." The look on Harry's face at my last sentence made me laugh loudly, and as my chuckles died away, his face broke into a smile.

"I can't see you doing that. But I can see you writing the memoir instead of me, you'd make tons of money." He quoted, and I laughed again.

"Most of the wizarding world is still under the impression that I'm dead, I don't think that's going to work." He squeezed my hand in his, and then his face flushed as he realized he was still holding it. As he started to let go, I squeezed back, making him stop. "But we'll have to spend time together all the time; I'm going to miss you. You'll have to come to the pub every night for a drink." Harry hesitated.

"Why don't you stay at Grimmalaud Place?" He asked in a rush. "I mean, you don't have to, I can understand if you'd want to stay with family-never mind." He ended hastily, releasing my hand.

"Harry, I would love to stay with you. We can always visit Aberforth, and the Weasley's, Hermione will be there all the time too." I said firmly. His relief was immediate, quickly crossing his face. "You are so uptight," I said under my breath, but he heard me.

"Uptight, really?" He asked, looking worried, and I laughed.

"You are more ridiculous than uptight. Why in the world would I _not_ want to stay with you? I've stayed with you for what has it been, a year?" I sat up slowly, and like so many times before, he helped me up, till I was sitting nicely upright. He then muttered a pathetic answer I didn't hear. "Oh, Harry." I said, and then laughed; he watched me, looking a strange mix of happy and embarrassed. "Besides, I'll keep you out of trouble." He snorted before he could stop himself.

"Sorry? Did you just say keep _me_ out of trouble? You're the one that needs looking after." He argued. I took his right hand and ran my finger over his scars. _I must not tell lies._ His face hardened.

"I would have kept you out of detention. I would have distracted you easily." I smirked, and he rolled his eyes again.

"Yeah…_doubtful_." He said sarcastically, and I leaned forward, forcing my face to stay serious.

"Are you doubting my extreme skills of distraction?" I asked gravely, and he laughed.

"I'd say yes." He chuckled. Watching him chuckle made warmth build up inside me. I leaned over and took his face in my hand and kissed him. After a moment, I backed up only a little, so we were nose to nose, and smiled. He was totally shocked, his face blank as he tried to think.

"Are you distracted now?" I whispered. He blinked, coming back to life.

"Um, yes?" He breathed, looking dazed.

"Excellent," I whispered, and kissed him again. He put his arms around me and shifted closer, returning it. His hands drifted down to the blankets, essentially around my waist as I moved my hand to just under his jaw. I broke away only when I needed oxygen, and rested my head on his shoulder, putting my arms loosely around his neck. He wrapped his arms around me.

"I guess that settles things," He said laughingly, kissing the top of my head. He sounded thrilled, and a happiness I had never known sprung up inside me where the magic had vanished.

"I guess so." I said, and the doors opened. Harry hastily let go and I quickly moved back to the center of the bed, then reclined. Ron and Hermione were coming down the ward, hands clasped. I felt a smile coming over my face, and Hermione turned a slight shade of pink when she saw me grinning at her.

"You've arisen!" Ron said, swinging over the end of the bed to sit at the foot of it. Hermione perched lightly on his knee. "We thought you'd never wake up, I swear Madam Pompfrey seriously over-drugged you," he complained.

"I woke up a couple minutes ago," I replied. "What did I miss?"

"Besides the whole wizarding world celebrating Voldemort's death and the fact that everyone suddenly heard that you're alive? Nothing much. Poor Aberforth has been stalked by reporters." Hermione said, and Ron took her hand. I raised my eyebrows.

"And I take it you two are…?" I let it drop as Hermione nodded, turning a nice red that matched Ron's hair. After a moment of silence, I swept back the covers and got out of bed, and relished the feeling of standing. "Oh, where is Madam Pompfrey?" I asked quickly, looking up towards her office.

"She left an hour ago…if you want to escape, I'd do it now." Harry said, so I leaned across him and picked up my wand from the end table and transfigured the pajamas to a pair of plain, soft pants and a blouse. After looking around the ward and not finding my shoes, I decided to just leave it be and stuck my wand up my sleeve.

"Shall we?" I asked, holding out my arm to Harry, but he took my hand instead, making Hermione's grin suddenly expand across her face. At the sound of footsteps, I looked up to see Madam Pompfrey coming down the ward.

"Why are you out of bed, Ms. Dumbledore?" She said, shocked, her hands fluttering until she came up to us.

"I'm better, Madam Pompfrey. I'm feeling better than I have my whole life." It wasn't a lie, the attacks were gone, and I was actually well rested. Madam Pompfrey blustered something I couldn't hear and turned a light shade of pink. "Thank you, for everything, but it's about time I was getting around." She smiled warmly at me.

"As long as you visit the kitchens for some real food." She insisted, and I nodded, to please her, and my stomach. After some slightly awkward goodbyes, we left the Hospital Wing.

"I don't know how you did that, but you are a genius! I wish I had been able to do that when I was here," Ron exclaimed, and I laughed. As we descended the marble staircase, I had a sudden thought.

"Can we go to the Headmaster's Office? I'd like to see Albus's portrait." I said earnestly, and Harry immediately turned around.

"We'll see you later," Hermione said, and her and Ron continued to the Great Hall.

"What is the school being used for now?" I asked Harry as we walked calmly through the school. He slung his arm around my waist, and I put my arm around his shoulders.

"After it was repaired, and all the dead buried…it's mostly just reporter's around. Everyone went home. Now that you're better, Madam Pompfrey will probably leave, and the house elves will clean the place for school next year." Harry said, and then added, "Dumbledore," to the gargoyle, and we went up the staircase again. The office had been cleared out of Snape's possessions, and had a more homey feel to it. I turned my attention to the portrait behind the chair and felt a smile immediately come over my face as Albus stopped straightening something in his portrait to see who had come in, and beamed at us.

"Albus," I greeted him, and walked around the desk to stand closer to his portrait. Harry loitered in front of the desk, giving us some space.

"It's good to see you recovered." Albus said, seating himself in his squashy chair. I could still remember the moment where we had embraced, and I had the sudden urge to do it again. The overwhelming feeling of loss and almost unfairness came back. I should have been able to spend time with him.

"It's good to _be_ recovered. And it's great to see you again." I added, leaning against the back of his chair.

"Have you had any visions since we last met?" Albus asked, and I shook my head. "I have a favor to ask of you…would you get word to me somehow when you have one? I'm still very inclined to look after you." He said, and I laughed, drawing Harry over.

"Of course! And one more thing…do you approve?" I asked quickly, taking Harry's hand. Albus smiled.

"It was about time, Harry. I could tell after you gave yourself up to Voldemort, and when she was the first thing you mentioned. I give you my full acceptance, and my blessing, although, since I am deceased, it's not the strongest of blessings." He said, but I stood up on my tippy toes and kissed the frame of his portrait.

"Thank you!" I said gratefully and suddenly the room swam into a pinwheel and then re-righted itself into a vision.

I was seated on a silver chair, Harry beside me. I was standing next to myself. I was dressed in a sky blue fitted dress, and Harry was in a suit. Confused, I looked up, and saw Hermione in a white dress, facing Ron in a tuxedo. A minister stood behind them, and he was speaking. "Do you, Hermione Jean Granger, take Ronald Billius Weasley to be your husband?" The minister asked her.

"Oh," I said slowly in my surprise, as the scene vanished, and my vision focused to see Albus looking apprehensive, and Harry in front of me looking anxious. "No pain," I said quickly as Harry took my hands, worried that I would have an attack now that the vision had ended.

"None? Excellent." Albus looked pleased. Harry sighed with relief and moved back to my side. "Care to share, Ariana?" Albus said after a moment. I grinned.

"Not yet. It would mess things up," I said. "Trust me on this," I added, seeing Albus frown. Then he thought about it, and nodded. After goodbyes, and promises to be back, we left the office.

"Are you sure I can't know?" Harry asked, putting his arm casually around my waist again as we walked away from the Headmaster's Office.

"I think it would scare you, to be honest. All I'm saying is that you were in a suit, but it wasn't a funeral." I said, and Harry stared at me, and then nodded vigorously.

"You're right…I don't want to know. Not yet, anyway." I laughed and kissed his cheek.

**Thanks guys! I know I ended kind of soon, without many answers given, but I based this story off of the Deathly Hallows, and that's how J.K. Rowling ended DH so…Speaking of the brilliant author, all of Harry's world belongs to her. My slightly altered plot is all mine, but I didn't make a new character this time. Sorry about that. **

**If you read and reviewed this story, thanks a million to you. Ariana as a character had fascinated me for awhile, and I'm glad my weak story about her was read and enjoyed. **

**blackorchestrafreak**


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